Kings and Vagabonds
by Etcetera Kit
Summary: DT SPD. Evicted from his apartment, Conner accepts Cruger's offer to join SPD as a last resort, while Sky, Syd, Z and Bridge learn they have more in common than just special powers. AU. Complete.
1. Fading Away

**Disclaimer:** The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**Note: **This is kind of from left-field - a musing during class led to something coherent. I do not know anything about the legal system surrounding Child Protective Services. All I know, I gathered from watching _Judging Amy_ and _Big Daddy, _and even then, I don't know what I'm talking about. Feel free to correct my incomplete knowledge of that.

* * *

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

_It's enough to make kings and vagabonds believe the very best..._

**Prologue: Fading Away**

_Year 2018_

Conner McKnight rolled over and sighed. Sleep was not coming, as it hadn't come for the past three weeks. Normally, insomnia was not something that plagued him, but lately… his thoughts churned until he didn't dare fall asleep. Memories came to him—the rest of the Dino Thunder Rangers, his daughters, the divorce…

Life was not supposed to have come to this—living in a third-rate apartment infested with insects and mice and taking whatever work he could find to help make the rent money. He used to be a prominent soccer star, his picture in every major magazine and on the Wheaties' boxes. He used to be married to a beautiful woman and had been the father of two great little girls. In the blink of an eye, he had it all cut out from underneath him until he felt like he was lost, floating in a sea of strangers with no hope of finding a friendly face.

He remembered the past four years in nothing but a blurry haze of events. He had retired from soccer at age twenty-eight. He was still young enough to continue playing if he had chosen to, but he had enough money—invested properly—that he didn't have to continue playing. The plan had been to take a few years off and spend time with his daughters before becoming a coach. The few years he planned to spend with his family had seemed like a peaceful end to a long and glorious summer. Nothing to do but watch the girls grow up and spend long romantic evenings with his wife.

How naïve and superficial that seemed now. He should have known something was wrong when his wife had stayed home on what was supposed to be a family vacation and had declined all his offers of taking a cruise for just the two of them. She began to avoid him and the girls. He realized what was happening too late. The full impact hit him when he was holding the divorce papers in his hands and a lawyer was calling him, giving him a court date. He had tried to make the divorce as smooth as possible. He had told his wife that they could file a joint claim and work out even custody time for the girls so that things like alimony and child support would be a non-issue.

That woman had refused and ended up taking everything from him. He lost the house, the girls and huge sums of money in alimony and child support. She had used a prenuptial agreement both of them had signed to do it—the agreement read that, if spousal infidelity could be confirmed, then… well, he didn't want to think about that. He had never so much as thought about cheating on her. He wasn't sure how she managed to prove it, but he found himself outside that courtroom that day, saying his final farewell to daughters he would not be allowed to see again and going to his car, the only thing he had left.

The red digital numbers on the clock read 4:23. He was supposed to meet Eric, his twin brother, for breakfast in two and a half hours. Eric was the only person from his past that he still kept in contact with. His parents had faded into the background, along with his fellow rangers—Doctor O, Kira, Ethan, Trent and even Hayley had become distant, obscure figures that he could not connect with.

It didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore. He had lost the two things in the world most dear to him… and now, life didn't matter. Madeline and Christina… his two beacons of light when he was away from home because of his soccer schedule. He remembered the awe and wonder that surrounded each of their births. His ex-wife didn't want them—she saw them as bargaining chips on a table. He should have seen through her façade earlier. She saw the wealth he had and the prestige she could gain from being married to him. He was held a prisoner by his heart and was willing to agree to anything if he could have his daughters back.

If he had any money left, he would have used it to go to court and get his daughters back, but he didn't. No… he needed to concentrate on getting through the day, starting with surviving breakfast with Eric and fending off his offers to stay with him. He wanted to take Eric up on his offer, but it didn't feel right, taking things from his brother with almost no hope of ever repaying him. Besides, he figured the courts would be more likely to let him have custody of the girls if he were living and surviving on his own.

He needed to do something, but he didn't know what.

* * *

He hadn't realized that the problem would yield a solution the next morning. Conner rolled out of bed after a sleepless night and stumbled into the bathroom. He took a quick shower and got dressed in jeans and a red t-shirt. It was his day off from his morning shift at Starbucks, but he was working the lunch and dinner shift at Chili's that night. He worked all day and all night and barely had enough to get by on… what kind of life was this?

Grabbing his keys and heading for the front door of the apartment, his phone rang. Great, now he was going to be late for breakfast on top of everything else. He picked up the phone. He didn't have a cell phone anymore, since he couldn't afford it.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Is this Conner McKnight?"

"Yeah," he replied gruffly and impatiently.

"This is Lionel Wilcox from the CPS office in Reefside."

That got his attention. "Yes?" he asked, eagerly, all thoughts of breakfast and being late pushed out of his mind.

"Your ex-wife has been called in on three domestic violence violations since you two got divorced. After the third time, we place the children elsewhere, preferably with the other parent." There was a pause. "Do you have time this morning to come down to our office?"

He glanced at the clock. "Yes."

"All right. I'll be waiting for you when you arrive."

"Thanks!" He hung up the phone, a huge smile growing over his face. Working all day and night suddenly seemed like a wonderful thing as long as he was doing it for something… or someone. He gave Eric a quick phone call to cancel breakfast, ignoring his questions as to why and got in his car, driving as fast as he dared to the CPS office.

The office was bare and something Conner had come to expect of government-issued things. A tired, overworked looking woman was sitting at the front desk. "Can I help you?" she asked, in a tone of voice that clearly suggested she didn't want to help him.

"Uh, hi," he said, suddenly feeling nervous. He was thirty-two years old! What did he have to feel nervous about? "I'm Conner McKnight. I'm here to see Lionel Wilcox."

"Down the hall, second door on the left," she instructed.

"Uh, thank you," he said by way of politeness before walking as quickly as he dared down the hall. He found the office quickly and knocked on the door.

"Come in!" came a voice from inside.

"Daddy!" two shrill voices shrieked.

He was immediately attacked by his daughters. Conner smiled and held out his arms, welcoming their enthusiastic greeting. Madeline was six and Christina was four, but the pair of them combined were enough to knock him off his feet. He held both of them close, reveling in the closeness that he had been denied for too long. Holding them at an arm's length, he studied them. In the few weeks since their separation neither had changed much. Both had grown some. He frowned at the bruise blossoming over the side of Christina's face. He gently pushed her light brown hair away from her face, noting that it was tangled and greasy. Madeline was not in much better shape, albeit bruise-free.

"What happened?" he whispered to her.

"Mommy got mad," Madeline informed him in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

He gently kissed both of their foreheads. His girls…

"She wouldn't let us see you," Christina added. "We wanted to."

Those words melted his heart. He had been so afraid that both of them would grow up and forget all about him. Mr. Wilcox cleared his throat. Conner looked up, realizing that there was more important business at hand. He picked Christina up and held Madeline's hand as he sat down in one of the straight-backed wooden chairs in the office.

"Thank you for coming," Wilcox said. He was tall and thin man, thin to the point of being pinched and unhealthy.

"It's no problem," he replied.

The social worker shuffled through some papers. "We talked briefly on the phone, but there are a few more details to go over. Your ex-wife did not have a job and, since she is being held right now, CPS has the right to seize her assets in order to provide child support."

Conner felt a knot of tension ease from him. That would make his life easier already. He might even be able to give up one of his jobs.

Wilcox pushed a sheaf of papers towards him. "Take these with you, sign them and bring them back here tomorrow morning. For the first year, you'll have monthly CPS inspections."

"I didn't know these things could be settled so quickly," he said quietly.

"We didn't want the publicity that would accompany if this went on too long."

He picked up the papers and tucked them into his jacket pocket. He then took the girls' hands and led them out of the drab office, back to his apartment.

* * *

_Year 2019_

"Daddy, can you read me a story when my hair's combed?"

Conner smiled at Christina's request. This was the same routine every night. The girls would take their baths and he would comb their hair. While Christina was having her hair combed, she would ask for a story. He suspected this had something to do with what had happened in those few weeks the girls had been with his ex-wife. God, he couldn't even view that woman as their mother. Well, their final visit from CPS had come and gone, meaning that they were now home free.

"Of course," he replied as he worked on getting a particularly nasty knot out of her hair. He had managed to find another job working as a paraprofessional with a school district. The pay wasn't great, but it got them food, clothes and paid the rent. In truth, he hated that job, but there was nothing he could do about it.

"Green Eggs and Ham?" his five-year old daughter asked.

"Whatever book you want."

She smiled to herself, allowing him to work out the tangles in her hair with no interruptions. They didn't have much. As soon as he had gotten his new job, they had moved out of his one-bedroom rat-hole apartment and found a better place. The apartment had two bedrooms with a bathroom between the two. The living room and kitchen were connected into one large open space. There were no bugs or rodents—meaning there were no late-night chases after cockroaches. (Ironically enough, the girls would chase them down themselves and he would be jolted awake by the noise.) The landlord here also fixed things promptly, so there was no waiting for the plumbing or lights to be returned to normal.

Being in this particular apartment complex had worked out well for them. A young family lived downstairs and the mother would wait with the girls for the bus in the morning, since Conner had to be at work by seven-thirty. (He was a paraprofessional at a high school.) However, he could be home when they got off the bus in the afternoon. They still were not living in the lap of luxury, but it was enough. They had each other.

Finishing combing out the tangles in Christina's hair, he put her hair into a quick braid. She jumped up and ran into the bedroom that her and Madeline shared to get the book. Madeline came out of their bedroom with her and the two of them gathered around him on the sofa for the story before it was time to go to bed. Most of the books the two of them had were books he had found in the attic of his parents' house when they had been born.

Soon enough, the story was over and he was chasing the girls to their bedroom. He tucked them into bed, gave them each a kiss, made sure the nightlight was working and left them to drift off into dreamland.

He wandered back out into the main part of the apartment. A sheaf of papers announcing school events was lying on the kitchen table. All of them pertained the Parents' Night that was coming up in a week. The school was hosting an open house. Parents and their students could visit with the teachers, see the classrooms and specials and have refreshments for a two-hour period. He had attended the event last year and it had been awkward if nothing else. He could tell that teachers and other parents were itching to ask why he had complete custody of the girls, where their mother was and thing of that ilk. He supposed it was unusual for the father to be the primary guardian in divorced situations…

Whatever the case, in one week, he would be facing those questions once again.

* * *

The school was crowded and buzzing with people. The kindergarten classrooms were near the front of the building (the district had day-long kindergarten) and Christina had excitedly dragged him to her classroom to show him her drawings and her desk and introduce him to her teacher. Soon enough, it was Madeline's turn and he got a tour of her second grade classroom and teacher.

Right now, the girls were bouncing around, eating cookies and talking with their friends while the parents tried to get a few moments of respite before rounding the kids up again and dragging them home.

"Conner?"

He turned at the sound of his name. The only person he saw was the school's music teacher. No, it must have been some parent looking for their kid.

"Conner McKnight?"

All right. That was him. He turned and realized that it was the music teacher who was talking to him. She was younger than some of the old bats at the school, but still only about thirty. Her pale yellow blouse and black skirt compliments her petite frame. She looked vaguely familiar… like from a distant hazy dream. Then it clicked.

"Kira?"

She smiled. He took a deep breath. What was Kira Ford doing here? She had been the Yellow Ranger on his team, as he had been the Red Ranger. Kira was also a Grammy Award winning musician and had a couple of gold records under her belt. Now she was the music teacher at an elementary school? It didn't make sense.

"You're a music teacher?" he asked.

Kira nodded, shrugging. "It's not so unusual. I was just looking for some peace and quiet."

"Like Doctor Oliver?"

"Exactly." She paused. "What are you doing here? I know you don't teach here, so that limits the possibilities."

He sighed. "I'm here with my daughters." He motioned to Madeline and Christina who were still chatting with their friends like a pair of gossiping teenagers.

"Are you married?"

"Divorced." Kira looked sympathetic. He gave her a scrutinizing look. "So what about you? Find Mr. Right somewhere along the way?"

She shook her head. "No." She paused. "So what happened to you being a famous soccer star?"

Obviously, she didn't read the tabloids. "I retired. Then my ex-wife cleaned me out in the divorce."

"But you got custody of your children?"

"Something like that." He didn't feel like detailing how exactly the girls had come to be in his custody. It was not a subject he tended to think about. His ex-wife was scum and that was all there was to it.

"Have you heard from Ethan or Trent or Doctor O?" she asked.

Now he felt guilty. Once he had rocketed to athletic stardom, he had left behind almost everyone he had known in Reefside, including his family members (all save Eric.) It hadn't really been anyone's fault. He was busy. The folks back in Reefside were busy and soon enough, the phone calls, e-mails and letters dwindled to nothing. "No," he said softly. "It's been almost fifteen years."

"I know."

Kira's hazel eyes were asking him a question, wondering if he was the same Conner she had known all those years ago. "Kira," he whispered. "I'm not the same person you knew. Too much has happened."

She nodded. "I understand. Neither am I." She paused and glanced at the parents wandering into and out of the school's music room. "I need to go. Good luck, Conner," she added softly.

He watched her go, knowing that the wide canyon between himself and the people from his past could never be bridged.

* * *

_Year 2020_

"You've been laid off. You've been evicted from your apartment. Everything you own is in that car."

Conner sighed, willing his cheeks not the flush. The sentence was true. All their belongings were in his car. The school district had started downsizing—the first to be laid off were the newly hired employees. He had been working for just about a year and he was canned. The rent money ran out and he couldn't find a new job. Now, he had loaded their meager possessions, his daughters and himself into his car and they were going to stay with Eric for a while, until he could get on his feet again.

The person before him was a big blue dog, one of the alien immigrants in the recent interplanetary immigration laws. He was in charge of SPD, a prestigious police force that specialized in fighting aliens and enforcing the immigration laws. He had introduced himself as Anubis Crugger. Conner's knowledge of SPD was limited, but he was fairly certain that they had created ranger powers for some of their police squads.

"I'm offering you a chance to get back on your feet."

"I know," Conner replied.

"Think about it. You'd have free room and board in the academy housing. I can offer you and your daughters one of the apartments. In addition, you'd have a salary. Your daughters can go to the school at the academy and you'd be doing work you're suited for."

The offer was tempting. He didn't know how the dog had found him in the parking lot of his apartment complex or even how the dog knew anything about him. Living and working at SPD wouldn't be so bad and the girls would have a good school and friends…

"I know about your past, Conner," Crugger said. "I know you were a Power Ranger and I know that you still have other powers that came with that honor."

His mind froze. Years ago, the Dino-Gems had given them their ranger powers, but also enhanced skills. His had been super-speed. When the gems stopped giving them their ranger powers, it left their super-powers. Part of the reason he had rocketed to soccer stardom was because of his speed. No one knew how he could be so fast. It was something he had hidden from everyone—Eric, his ex-wife, his daughters…

"We need you."

Conner stood up straight and squared his shoulders. "I'm nothing anymore. I'm a has-been athlete who can't keep a job. Why should I believe you'll continue to give me a job?"

Crugger nodded. "A fair question. I have a simple answer. You were the Red Ranger. My B-Squad cadets are lacking a strong leader. I have given them their morphers, but I haven't given anyone the red morpher. You are a strong leader. I want you to be their Red Ranger."

He fell silent, not sure how to respond to someone who had faith in him.

"You are the leader that they need." Crugger paused. "And you would have the job as long as you wanted it. I don't foresee that SPD and the need for rangers is going to disappear anytime in the near future."

"I don't know…"

"If you won't do it for yourself, then do it for your daughters."

He glanced to the car and saw Madeline and Christina looking out the window at him. Both were pale and looked frightened. Crugger was right. They couldn't go on living like this. It would be a betrayal to the two beings that put so much faith in him not to take this offer.

"I'll do it."

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** I know that it is bad form to post a story while I have another in progress, but this was just such an intriguing subject matter that I couldn't resist. After this, we depart from Conner for a few chapters and dwell on the SPD rangers - Sky, Syd, Z and Bridge. I will issue more notes as I see fit on the AU-ness of this piece. With that said, I would appreciate honest comments on this. The really, really AU stuff starts up in the next section. 


	2. Our Beginning I

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**Note:** The idea of Sky being the child of Wes and Jen did not originate with me. It originated with _white time ranger_ in her excellent fic - _A Picture Is Worth 1000 Words_. She has graciously consented to let me borrow it for this piece. Thanks!

* * *

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

_I keep recalling how life used to be  
Now and then I wonder - have we changed?  
With your hand in mine, oh, the moments shine!  
Like the pictures in a storybook, we will turn the pages  
Sharing pieces of the memories  
I care for you now, as I did then at our beginning  
Our beginning_

**Chapter One: Our Beginning I**

_Year 2003_

Crugger's people from SPD were coming. Wesley Collins let out a shaky breath and held the small body of his son closely. Sky was awake, but he was being quiet, his blue eyes wide and frightened at the panic of his parents. It shouldn't have come to this. Sky was only three! Six months… he, Jen and Sky had been able to be a family for six months and now Crugger was threatening to ruin it all.

He and Jen had thought that Sky would be safe. His birth certificate showed that he had been born in 2000, well before the experiments that went awry and altered people's DNA happened. They should have known that it would only be a matter of time before Crugger and the rest of the SPD people realized that Sky had been conceived in 2002. Their son had been conceived after that disaster with the mutorgs. Jen went back to 3001 and then came forward again to 2000 to monitor mutant activity. When Time Force realized she was pregnant and learned who the father was, she was ordered to stay in 2000. Wes had taken a time ship to see Sky's birth, but they were all reunited when he was two and a half. He and Jen had married and, for all intents and purposes, he forgot that the experiments in 2001 had altered his DNA.

No one was sure what those alterations meant for the children born of those parents. All Wes knew was that someone was coming to take his son away. Crugger had made noises about it being safer for the children, but Wes couldn't see how ripping Sky away from his family would be better. It didn't matter what might happen to Sky. All that mattered was that he and Jen would love him no matter what. Jen had received permission from Time Force to remain with Wes until Sky turned twenty-one. They had a future together.

Well, he would be damned if Crugger was just going to take his son away from him and put him with total strangers. It helped that Eric was still a Silver Guardian and had listened in on the radio waves, informing them that this was coming.

Jen came out of Sky's bedroom, a small duffel bag filled with his clothes and other things that she deemed essential. She had his train blanket and teddy bear under one arm. Sky reached out in a sleepy, lethargic way to grab his teddy bear.

"What's going on?" Sky muttered, his small voice muted from sleep and emotion.

"You're going away with Uncle Eric," Wes murmured. "It's going to be all right."

"Un'ca Eric?"

"Yes," Jen replied, gently smoothing down the sleep-tousled hair of their son. Sky took after Wes in more ways than one. He had dark blonde hair that was still baby-fine. He also had blue eyes. Jen gently kissed his forehead.

A lump lodged in the back of Wes' throat. He didn't want to send his son away, but it had to be done. Knowing that Sky was with Eric would be better than not having any idea where Sky was. Schuyler Alan Collins… the son he had dreamed of having, who was now being ripped away from him in this cruel twist of fate.

"Wes?"

He turned at Eric's soft call from the darkened entry hall at the huge Collins' mansion. He held Sky a little tighter, knowing that their separation was imminent. They went down the stairs to see Eric.

"The car's still running," Eric said softly. "We've got to get as much of a head start as we can."

Wes was still amazed that Eric agreed to this, the fact that he was Sky's godfather aside. Jen handed Eric the duffel bag and the blanket, along with Sky's favorite cup that she had pulled from a table upstairs. Eric took the items, a look of fierce determination on his face. Wes gently kissed Sky's forehead, holding the small body close before handing him to Jen. She was crying, her tears mixing with Sky's hair as she kissed him and hugged him.

"We'll always love you," she whispered.

Eric gently took Sky and nodded to both of them, before going out to the car. They followed, watching as Eric settled Sky into the car seat that Phillips had put in his car. Sky looked too tired to care about where he was and fell asleep almost immediately. Wes tried to swallow the lump and fight the tears. This wouldn't be for long. Hopefully, Sky would be able to come home.

He and Jen each took turns hugging Eric. "Thank you," he whispered.

Soon enough, the Quantum Ranger had gotten into his car and was driving off into the night with their only child.

Wes and Jen held each other and cried.

* * *

_Year 2005_

He was tired of running. That's all he had done for the past two years. Run. God, he wanted to settle down someplace before it was time for Sky to start school, since he knew that school would be hell if they kept moving every few months. It was almost inevitable that the moment they stopped running someone from SPD would find them. The last thing that he wanted to happen was to have Sky taken away. Wes and Jen had put their faith in him to keep Sky safe and he was going to do that.

Eric Myers sighed as he unpacked a box of dishes, setting the mismatched plates and cups in one of the cupboards. Sky was in his bedroom, deciding how he wanted to organize his books and toys on the milk crates that had become his shelves. It was the eighth house they had lived in for the past two years. Three months seemed to be the maximum amount of time they could stay put. But Newtech City was small and not on any maps yet. It might take longer for someone to track them here.

Sky was supposed to start school in the fall. It was June. Eric wasn't sure that they would be able to stay here long enough for that to happen. Oh, he would start school in the next town, but… moving had become distasteful to both of them. They could stay, but he wasn't sure what would happen if they were found. He hadn't talked to Wes and Jen in months because that was how they were found in the last place.

"Eric, what is this junk?"

He turned slightly at the sound of Taylor Earhardt's voice. He hadn't heard from her in close to three years, but had been shocked to learn that she was stationed in a town not far from Newtech City. She had offered to come over and help them unpack. It was nice to actually have a friendly face in a new town. He and Taylor had had their differences in the past, but managed to get along relatively well.

"Junk drawer," he replied, glancing at the odd assortment of cookie cutters, cheese graters, peelers and other odd assorted kitchen utensils. He pointed to a large drawer next to the stove. "Put it in there."

Taylor shook her head and began emptying the contents of the box into the drawer. "I don't see how you keep on the move like you do."

"Trust me, I don't want to."

"What's it like for Sky?"

Eric didn't answer, just let his gaze go to the kitchen window. It had been hell for Sky. The boy had been relatively happy—a normal hyperactive kid two years ago when he had been with his parents. Now, he was withdrawn and quiet, almost like he expected things to fail before they even began. Eric didn't want it to be like that. Sky was too young to understand what would happen if the people from SPD found them. Crugger had some strange reasoning regarding keeping the kids with their parents. Although, as far as he knew, the children of the others involved in those experiments were still with their parents.

"I know why you do it though," Taylor said softly. "Cole and Alyssa are afraid of losing Elizabeth sometime soon."

Alyssa had been involved with the last of the experiments in late 2001 as part of a college project. The Evans' had one daughter—a little girl named Elizabeth who was just past two. There were others. Carter and Dana Grayson had three kids that had been born after the experiments. Mike and Maya Corbett had one child and lived on Mirinoi. Eric had no doubt that all of them would be hunted down. It made him wonder what Crugger was waiting for. A false sense of security, perhaps? Wes and Jen had gone to such extreme measures to hide Sky that he felt the others might do the same.

"I'd be betraying Wes and Jen if I let something happen to him."

Taylor was silent, but she moved closer to him and gently rested her head on his shoulder, her arm going around his waist. He was grateful for the physical contact. "I hope things work here," she whispered.

The doorbell rang, letting out an ear-piercing shrill chime.

"I've got to get that fixed," Eric muttered.

"I'll get it," Taylor said. "It's probably your new neighbors, coming over with some cookies."

"In your dreams."

He went back to unpacking the dishes as Taylor went to the door. "Eric?" she asked. He looked up and his heart froze at the sight of the two people he had been running from for the past two years. Anubis Crugger and Katherine Manx… How the hell did they find them here? He had been so careful, covered his trail… Eric immediately thought of Sky who was in his room with nothing to prevent him from being taken.

Crugger held up a hand. "Please, Eric, don't worry. We're here to strike a bargain with you."

He felt his fists clench. "I don't make bargains with kidnappers."

The big blue dog sighed. "I realize that our methods must seem suspect to you, but I'm not here to take Sky away from you." He paused. "You've done an admirable job hiding yourselves for the past two years, but it's time for you to stop."

"What are you talking about?" Eric cut his eyes to Taylor. She was edging towards the back of the house, towards Sky's bedroom. If she was there to stop something… he cut his eyes back to Crugger and Manx.

Manx set a file folder on the cluttered kitchen table. "Sky can't know his real parents or roots," she said softly. "But we're willing to let you keep him. These are the official adoption papers. The conditions of the adoption are simple. You cannot tell him about his real parents or roots or contact any of them. He can't see them. Second, his last name needs to be changed to reflect neither you nor his parents."

"Why should I agree to any of this?"

"It's what is best for Sky. We don't want to uproot him since he's been with you for two years. You two need to stop running and settle down. He just cannot know about his family." Manx held a pen out to him.

"Why?" Eric asked. "Why are you doing this?"

"You don't see what I do," Crugger said.

"If I refuse this?"

"We take Sky and put him in a foster home. You would never see him again."

_And Wes and Jen would never see him again_… Eric felt like someone else was guiding his hand as he signed the papers. He didn't want to lose Sky—that would be far worse than all of them losing him forever. Wes was one of his closest friends. Manx handed him a copy of the papers, the new birth certificate… Eric looked at the name on it. Schuyler Alan Tate… at least he still had some part of his old life left.

Crugger and Manx left without another word. Eric sank down into one of the chairs, not knowing if his burden had lifted or doubled.

"Dad?"

He turned to see Sky coming out of his bedroom with Taylor. Sky had started calling him 'dad' of his own accord about a year and a half ago. Eric had done nothing to stop it, figuring that it was best for blending in and something that a little therapy could cure in the future. Now, it looked like Eric really was his father.

"Sky," he said softly, opening his arms to the boy. Sky climbed up into his lap, snuggling close to him. "I've adopted you," he whispered. "I'm your father now."

"Okay," Sky replied, his blue eyes wide and not quite understanding. "Are we going to stay here for a long time?"

"As long as we can," he promised.

Sky fell silent, just leaning into the embrace. Eric closed his eyes, smoothing down the slightly ruffled blonde hair. Sky was just a little kid who didn't really remember his real parents and now, he never would. His heart broke when he realized that Sky would have no idea who Wes or Jen were. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat. He was vaguely aware of Taylor putting her arms around both of them.

Life had been so wonderful for a while… where had that gone?

* * *

_Year 2006_

The reports from the others had been trickling in for the past week. First, Carter and Dana reported that someone had tried to abduct their children from the school playground, but the twins had notified a teacher. Second, someone other than Cole or Alyssa tried to pick Elizabeth up at daycare. Sky was long since lost to his parents.

Maya Corbett cradled the sleeping body of her son against her chest as she rocked them back and forth in the afternoon sunlight on Mirinoi. She and Mike had wanted a child for so long… there had been a point where they almost gave up all hope. They had lived on Mirinoi for two years and then went back to Earth because Mike had been involved in some experiments going on. They had come back to Mirinoi and, a year later, conceived their son. After almost four years of marriage, Bridge finally came into their lives.

She gently smoothed Bridge's hair down as he clutched his stuffed dinosaur to his chest with one arm and sucked on the thumb of his free hand. He was still just a baby—his third birthday had been only days ago. Crugger and Manx had said something years ago about their children, since Mike had been involved in the experiments, having genetic mutations. Maya had never dreamed that that comment would mean taking their children away from them. Crugger was from a planet Maya was unfamiliar with and she didn't know what special abilities he had, but she didn't think it was ever good to take children from parents that loved them.

As gently as possible, she tightened her grip on Bridge. There was no way she going to give anyone her son without a fight.

"Maya!"

She turned at the sound of Mike's voice. "What is it?"

Her husband came onto the back porch, a panicked expression on his normally calm face. "They're here!"

"Who?"

"Crugger and Manx."

Maya involuntarily had a sharp intake of breath. No… those were the two people that were going to take Bridge away from them. Mike was already inside their house, putting things from Bridge's room into a duffel bag. Maya stood up, holding Bridge close.

"Mommy?" he asked, tears evident behind the word.

"Shhh," she whispered to him. "It's okay."

"We have to hide him," Mike was saying. "If we take him to the village and let Jara hide him somewhere with the villagers. They can disguise him and keep him safe so that Crugger and Manx stop looking for him."

Mike put the duffel bag over Maya's shoulder and handed her Bridge's dinosaur blanket. Maya quickly wrapped Bridge in the blanket. He was still holding his dinosaur and looked close to tears at the panicked state of his parents. He had always been attuned to their emotions and this was upsetting him.

"Take him to the village," Mike said. "I'll hold them off here."

"Daddy?" Bridge started to cry softly. Mike leaned forward and gently kissed his son's forehead.

"I love you, Bridge," he whispered. He gave Maya a quick but firm kiss on the lips. "Go!" he whispered. "They're not going to get our son."

Maya nodded and took off through the back door. There was a rough path through the woods behind their house that led to the village. If she could make it to the village, then Jara and the others would help her. Bridge was half Mirinite. The people of Mirinoi protected their own. There had to be a way.

Bridge was still crying as she moved along the rough dirt path. Maya gently whispered to him and tried to calm him down. He was normally a good-natured baby, hardly ever cried except for when she or Mike was upset about something. He picked up on particularly strong emotions, something that Mirinites did. Maya knew that he was scared. This was out of his routine and what he expected. Bridge equated routine with security and non-routine with chaos and fear.

"It's all right," she tried to sooth him. She began to hum a song that Jara sang to her when she was little. Bridge's cries died down to plaintive sniffling.

The path became a little more solid and the trees thinned. The distant smoke and voices from the village began to filter into her consciousness. Almost there… she began to run as fast as she could, holding Bridge tightly.

"Jara!" she called as she ran into the village. "Jara!"

The old man, elder for the tribe, moved towards her. "Maya," he said with some surprise. "And little Bridge. What's happening?"

"I can't explain now," she said breathlessly. "I need you to take Bridge and hide him. Someone wants to take him."

Jara's ancient blue eyes filled with concern. "Of course," he said, reaching out to take Bridge who immediately began to fuss. "No one will find him."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that."

The pair turned to see Manx walking into the center of the village. Maya held Bridge tight to her, his little arms locked around her neck. "You can't have my son," she hissed, backing away. The villagers closed ranks beside her and behind her.

Jara moved towards Manx. "What is the meaning of this?"

Manx pointed to Bridge, now sobbing into Maya's neck. "That boy has to be removed from his parents for his own good."

Jara shook his head. "Maya and Mike are good parents. How is it better for Bridge to be away from them?"

The odd cat-woman moved forward. Maya cried out, holding Bridge near. The male warriors of the village stepped forward. "I have no quarrel with you," Manx told the men. "But if you do not move, then I will be forced to cut your throats."

"The boy and his mother are Mirinites," the head warrior said. "If you want them, then you had better be prepared to destroy the entire village."

"Move," the cat hissed.

"We do not fear death," the warrior replied.

Manx leapt forward, like a real cat, unsheathing vicious claws from her hands. "You will die then," she growled.

"My soul is prepared. How's yours?"

Her claws sang in front of his face, leaving three deep scratches in their wake. He pushed her off. She leapt forward again, this time landing in front of Maya. She sheathed her claws and began to tug Bridge away from her. "No!" Maya screamed.

One last tug and fear of hurting Bridge was enough for the cat to get what she wanted. She leapt away from Maya with Bridge in her arms. The little boy was crying hysterically now, holding his dinosaur with one arm and reaching out for Maya with the other.

The warriors closed in on her, but it wasn't enough. The cat was faster than all of them as she sped back towards Terra Venture. She ran after them, not caring about the speed and still carrying Bridge's things and his blanket. Kai was stationed on guard as she caught a glimpse of Manx leaping into the City Dome. "Kai!" she screamed. "Help me!"

Kai didn't think twice. He took off after the woman. Maya ran, but came to a dead halt in front of the shuttle bay. Crugger walked up to her and took the duffel bag and blanket. "Thank you," he muttered before walking off. The shuttle doors slammed shut. Her feet were frozen.

Bridge was still screaming and those cries were the only thing she heard as the pair made off with her only child.

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** The initial response to this knocked my socks off! Most things will be clarified or explained in future chapters. Also, I think I should note now (lest I forget in future chapters) that Jack will appear in this story but he will be a minor character - he has no powers nor does he become the Red Ranger (as you can probably gather from the prologue). I cannot promise regular updates with this piece. Yeah - I also borrowed a line from _Indiana Jones_. If you can identify it, give yourself a cookie... now, reviewer responses:

_angelbaby03usa_ - I plan on writing more to this piece, although I cannot promise regular updates. Thanks for reviewing!

_Arrowned_ - Thanks for the compliments! For me, I had some technical dilemmas with including Jack to a large degree. (That, and I think the dynaic between Sky and Conner would be hysterical.) Glad you like it!

_BloomingViolets_ - Thanks:)

_Brandon B_ - I have nothing against Jack. In fact, I think he is one of the more likable characters on SPD. I ran into problems trying to include him in this story. (The original draft of the story didn't include Z either.) First, he has to have former rangers as his biological parents and there were no cannon (or remotely fannon) couples I could use that would be believable. (Since, it's doubtful that Jack is bi-racial.) Second, if I had included Jack, then I couldn't bring back Conner. In conclusion, I like Jack, but couldn't bring him full-force into this piece. Thanks for reviewing!

_cheerleader chic_ - Conner and Z? Wow, I'm getting quite a few couple requests. Pairings will reveal themselves as the story goes on. I'm glad you like the story so far.

_Feline-Feral_ - It's just bad form for me to have two stories on the go. I'm just a neat nick and want things orderly and finished. I'm glad you're liking this piece so far!

_fenestrae_ - I would love to do a recap of where all the other DT rangers ended up, but it's not part of this piece. Glad you like it so far!

_jedi4jesus19_ - Thanks! Glad you like it!

_Jenna Summers_ - Thanks! As for Kira making a reappearance, only time will tell. :)

_LucyE_ - Kira and Conner romance? As I've said before, only time will tell. Thanks for reviewing!

_Mae_ - Thanks! I want to continue with this piece.

_MagCat_ - It doesn't really matter who Conner's ex-wife was (is.) Jack will make an appearance in this piece, but as a minor character. As for other former rangers showing up, only time will tell. :) Thanks for reviewing!

_Titanium Gold_ - Drama? Me? I see what you mean. I'm glad you like it so far!


	3. Our Beginning II

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

**Chapter Two: Our Beginning II**

_Year 2006—cont._

Eric gently picked up Z. She was tired and had been lethargic about walking. It was late and the amusement park was about to close, but he realized that Sky's sixth birthday had been a success. Some of his friends from school had met them at the park and the boys had played and walked around together with some of their moms, while Eric had taken Z around to the things that were more her speed.

Elizabeth Evans was temporarily staying with him and Sky. Cole and Alyssa had come to him. Someone had tried to pick her up at daycare and they were afraid she would be snatched off the playground. The little girl was only three. The couple reasoned that Z being with Eric would be the last thing that the SPD bunch would suspect. Eric had to agree with them. The first person ruled out would be him. Crugger and Manx wouldn't think any of them dumb enough to put their children with him.

He reached out and grasped Sky's hand with his free hand. Sky was tired, but looked happy. For the first time in his life, he had had a birthday party with more than family members present. The kids had all seemed to enjoy themselves. Earlier, some of the chaperoning moms had loaded the leftover cake and presents into the car, so that Eric would have nothing to worry about when it was time for him to take Sky and Z home.

The drive home was silent. Z fell asleep and Sky made a valiant effort to keep his eyes open. Once home, he changed Z out of the lavender dress she had insisted on wearing to Sky's birthday and put her to bed. The house was two bedrooms and, since Cole and Alyssa had insisted that this was temporary, Eric had put Z on the bottom bunk in Sky's room. Sky wasn't too crazy about sharing his room with a girl, but had grudgingly agreed to put up with it for a little bit. Sky was fast becoming an odd mix of Jen and Wes' traits.

"How was your birthday?" Eric asked as he tucked Sky into bed.

Sky grinned. "It was awesome!"

"Good." Eric kissed his forehead. "Night, Sky."

"Night, Dad."

He made sure that the nightlight was functional and gently shut the door on the two children that were already dead asleep. He wandered into the living room, looking at the pile of unwrapped presents sitting on the kitchen table. It had been nice to give Sky something that made him feel like a normal kid.

"Was the birthday party a success?"

Eric looked up as Taylor walked into the house. The pair of them had become off and on bedmates. It was a relationship that suited him right now. He didn't need a full-fledged girlfriend. Sex every so often was more than enough. Taylor was amendable to that and they tended to get along knowing that there was no fear of commitment.

He smiled. "Yeah. I think so. You would have known that if you had been there."

Taylor shrugged. "Six-year-olds' birthday parties aren't my thing." She set a colorfully wrapped present on the table. "Tell Sky it's belated."

He drew her into his arms. She just let him hold her for a moment.

"How's Z doing?" she asked.

"All right. I mean as well as she can be for a kid whose parents left her here."

"They had no choice."

"I know."

There was a soft knock on the door, before someone pushed it open. Eric released Taylor as Alyssa came into the house, looking panicked. "Alyssa?" he asked.

"What's wrong?" Taylor asked at the same time.

"It's Cole," Alyssa said, close to tears. "They've thrown him in jail and they won't let him out unless we tell them where Z is."

"Shit," Eric muttered.

"We can do something," Taylor reassured her. "There's no reason for them to be taking your daughter in the first place."

"I don't know what to do."

"We'll think of something," Eric whispered.

Another knock came on the door. Now that was bad. He went to the peephole and glanced out. Manx was out there. She must have followed Alyssa here, knowing that the former White Ranger would lead her to what she wanted eventually. Eric had used to think that Crugger and Manx were decent people, but now… he had no clue what to think of them, other than as complete and total mercenaries.

"Your husband will be released and your daughter will be safe, if you hand her over."

Eric swore and tore the door open. "Go to hell," he spat.

"Eric," Kat said in a patient tone. "None of you can have an inkling of what is at stake here. We have to take the children away for their own good."

"Bullshit!"

He hadn't noticed that Alyssa had gone into the kids' bedroom and came out carrying a sleeping Z. She also brought out the bag that held Z's things. Tears streaming down her face, she handed her daughter to the cat.

"Alyssa!" Taylor hissed.

"I don't want them hurting my family," Alyssa cried.

Manx took Z and disappeared through the front door. Alyssa was crying and Taylor was doing her best to comfort her.

"Dad?"

Eric turned to see Sky standing in the doorway to his room, looking confused and scared. He sighed and went to Sky, putting him back to bed and staying with him until he was sure that the boy was asleep. The adoption papers might say that he was legally Sky's father, but there was something that made him feel more and more each day that Sky was really his own.

* * *

Carter Grayson looked at the three blonde heads, sitting in the living room, playing a nonsense game amongst themselves. His three children… Dana, his wife, was in the kitchen, working on making dinner or something. He almost didn't want to break this to them, but he had to. Their children would meet the same fate as Bridge Corbett and Z Evans if they didn't do something. 

"Dana," he said softly, coming into the kitchen.

She stopped and frowned, understanding dawning over her face. "They're coming for them, aren't they?"

He nodded.

"Ryan's house is a few blocks away," she said quickly. "They know the way. If they can get there, then Ryan can get them to the Aqua-Base. They'll be safe there." Dana's voice was calm, but Carter could hear the panic underneath. If the kids could get to his brother-in-law's house, then there was some hope for them. The twins had a shortcut they took through the backyards that would get them there sooner. He and Dana could hold them off here…

He went into the living room. Three blonde heads turned to him. Matching sets of blue eyes scrutinized him. The twins—Austin and Paris—were five and Sydney was four. He shouldn't be sending them on their own… but an adult would slow them down.

"What's going on, Dad?" Austin asked. He was the lone boy and the oldest.

"Listen to me," Carter said with renewed urgency. "You need to use the back way to get to Uncle Ryan's house. Go now. Don't stop and talk to anyone until you get to Uncle Ryan. He's going to take you somewhere for a few days."

Paris recognized the urgency, while Austin saw the order to move. "Why?" Sydney asked, her voice close to a wail.

"I want you to stay safe," Carter said. He gathered the children up into his arms. If he had known that working with the experimental stuff with SPD would cause him this much heartache, he wouldn't have done it. "I know you can do this," he whispered.

Paris nodded, pushing her straight blonde hair out of her eyes. Dana came into the room and gave them silent farewells. Austin and Paris took Sydney's hands between them and the three of them darted across the back yard and through a gap in the fence.

Moments later he would realize that the kids had been too late. They never made it to Ryan's house—Crugger and Manx intercepted them in the driveway… His heart shattered into three pieces that day and never was one again.

* * *

"I don't see why I should agree to this." 

It was a few weeks after Z had been taken away. Eric crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Katherine Manx. What she was proposing was beyond ridiculous. Apparently, the Corbett boy had taken being snatched from his parents hard (what kid wouldn't?) and was refusing to eat. Currently, he was in the hospital on a hydration IV. Kat wanted him to take the boy for a few weeks and see if there was an improvement.

"We can't get him to eat," Manx said, her tone unnaturally soft. "I don't want him to die."

"Give him back to his parents," Eric replied coldly. "I'm sure he'll start eating again once he's with them."

"Please, Eric," she said.

"I have some conditions," he countered.

Manx looked relieved and suspicious. "Name them."

"If I take this boy in, I want legal guardianship of him for the duration of the time he's here. If he's here more than three months, I adopt him and give him the same last name as Sky."

The cat sighed. "I'll agree to those terms, but why?"

"Within three months, Sky was viewing me as his father. I assume that about the same would happen with this boy. I don't want him becoming attached and then have a repeat of what you people have already done to him."

Eric sighed as the woman left the house. He had no idea why he had just agreed to this. Crugger and Manx had screwed his life over more times than he cared to remember. But somehow… he vaguely remembered Bridge Corbett when he was a baby and his parents were visiting Earth. The kid had been so happy… now the kid was starving himself to death. Bridge was only three and, for all intents and purposes, was still a baby. God, if he could get that kid to be happy again, then he would do it.

* * *

He gingerly flipped the grilled cheese sandwiches in the large frying pan, watching Sky cautiously approach Bridge. The three-year-old had arrived that morning, band-aides on his arm proving the IV and stint in the hospital. Bridge had said nothing as Eric and Sky showed him the bottom bunk that would be his bed and where everything in the house was. The little boy just clutched his stuffed dinosaur to his chest and curled up in the corner of the couch, too numbed to be scared anymore. 

Sky pushed himself on the couch next to Bridge. "Do you like dinosaurs?" he asked.

Bridge nodded, his blue eyes wide with something akin to fear.

"What's your dinosaur's name?"

"Olive," Bridge whispered. "He's a brontosaurus."

Eric snapped to attention. Bridge had actually said something. The fear in those blue eyes was melting and he was looking at Sky with wonder. It was also unbelievable that that kid knew exactly what kind of dinosaur his stuffed animal was.

"Do you like dinosaur-shaped grilled cheese sandwiches?"

There were times Sky just flat-out amazed him. Bridge looked a little fearful, but eventually nodded his head. Sky leapt up off the couch and raced into the kitchen. "Walk," Eric reminded him. He obediently slowed down, but came into the kitchen and started rummaging through the junk drawer, before he came up with a large silver cookie cutter in the shape of a dinosaur. Eric could see what he was thinking. He flipped the finished sandwiches onto plates and set them on the table. Sky moved from the drawer, to a cupboard on the floor level that held most of the plastic cups. He rummaged around until he found an old sippy-cup that had colorful dinosaurs all over it.

Eric poured Kool-Aide in a normal cup for Sky and put some in the sippy-cup for Bridge. Sky went back into the living room. "Come eat lunch," he said to Bridge, holding out a hand. The boy cautiously took the offered hand and, still holding his dinosaur, allowed Sky to lead him into the kitchen and sit him at a place on the table.

He watched with some amusement as Sky carefully cut a dinosaur shape out of his sandwich and Bridge's and then put both the dinosaurs on Bridge's plate. Bridge looked at them and then slowly began to eat them. Pride swelled in his heart for Sky. He also began to drink the Kool-Aide that was in the dinosaur cup. Sky could barely sit still, jumping up and getting the bowl of sliced apples from the kitchen. Soon enough, Bridge was beginning to look like a satisfied toddler rather than a scared waif.

Once Bridge finished his Kool-Aide, Eric rinsed out the cup and put some kind of shake drink in it that the doctors wanted Bridge to have for a few days. He drank that as well and his eyelids began to droop. He was still little enough to take naps. Eric picked him and the dinosaur up, taking them into the bedroom and tucking him into bed. Bridge was asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow. His brown hair was mussed, but his expression was peaceful.

Sky was putting the dishes in the sink when he came back.

"I like Bridge," Sky said. "Is he going to stay?"

"Hopefully," Eric replied. "I'm proud of you."

"For what?"

"For helping Bridge out."

Sky rolled his eyes. "Well, I mean he needs to eat!"

Eric just laughed and pulled Sky into his arms. Sky returned the hug. He hoped that Crugger and Manx would leave Bridge with them. Sky was already adapting to being an older brother really well.

* * *

"I see you, Bridge." 

The little boy jumped around the corner, his hands raised. "Boo!" he said.

Eric smiled as he dumped a bag of microwave popcorn into the bowl. Bridge had Olive in one hand and a dinosaur flashlight that roared in the other. (Eric had taken the batteries out of the latter, but all Bridge cared about was that it was a dinosaur.) Bridge liked to jump around the corners to 'scare' people, but they all knew he did it.

"Did I scare you?" he asked.

"A little," Eric replied.

Bridge smiled, looking satisfied that he had succeeded to some degree. Sky was in first grade, so Eric had enrolled Bridge in a full-day preschool program, since the kid had been desperate to go to school like Sky. It also worked out well for his work schedule. He got off in time to pick Bridge, then Sky up, while having enough time in the mornings to drop them off.

"Hey, everyone!"

"Miss Taylor!" Bridge hurried to the front door in order to give Taylor a hug. She smiled and returned the gesture. Bridge was one for hugging everyone. Eric didn't mind. The kid had some tough breaks early on.

"Hi, Miss Taylor!" Sky called from the living room.

Eric picked up the bowl and met Taylor as she hung up her coat. He gave her a quick kiss, before bringing the popcorn into the boys. It was Friday night and he had promised to let them watch a movie. Granted, the type of movie they wanted to see might not be what he and Taylor wanted to, but they could suffer through eighty minutes of Disney.

"Start the movie," Eric said to Sky. Taylor sat down on the couch and Bridge promptly scrambled into her lap. Sky pushed the correct buttons on the remote to start the movie in the DVD player. All right, so Eric could actually stomach watching _Aladdin_, the movie that the boys had picked this time around.

Soon enough, the popcorn was gone, the movie was over and Eric had put both the boys to bed. Taylor smiled as he pulled her into his arms in the blessedly quiet living room. It was just gone two months and Eric wasn't sure if he should hold his breath about the ultimate placement of Bridge. It would be just like Crugger and Manx to show up the day before the three month mark and claim that nothing was official.

"Bridge is such a sweetheart," Taylor said softly.

Eric nodded. "I think he's slowly going back to the kid he was on Mirinoi."

All Bridge had to do to win Taylor over was to look at her with his big blue-eyed puppy expression. She had been in love with the kid ever since, even going so far as to comfort him when he started crying. He was prone to nightmares, so if Taylor happened to be spending the night, then she would take care of Bridge after they happened. Sky was good about that too, even offering his train blanket to Bridge temporarily.

Her lips gently grazed his jaw. Eric smiled to himself as they met in a fiery, passionate kiss. Things were hard with two kids around and work… it didn't give them nearly as much time together as he would have liked.

Hours later, in the faint afterglow, he held Taylor close to him, wondering what would have happened if he hadn't taken Wes' child to hide him.

* * *

So Crugger and Manx got their way. Eric inwardly seethed as he watched Taylor pack Bridge's clothes into a duffel bag and Sky putting all his toys and blankets into one of the milk crates. Bridge was clinging to him, holding Olive and sobbing his heart out. Eric held him tightly, gently rubbing his small back in an attempt to calm him down. He refused to be comforted—and it was obvious that he was terrified of Manx. 

"I don't want to go," he was wailing in a never-ending chant. "I don't want to go."

Eric didn't want him to go either. In the past three months, Bridge had gone from a scared, half-starved child to a thriving, healthy kid. He had charmed his way into their hearts and no one wanted to see him go. Pictures he had drawn at preschool hung on the fridge next to Sky's perfect spelling tests and math papers. Eric remembered the day Bridge had learned how to write his name and how proud he had been. It was cruel to take Bridge and put him with people who wouldn't tolerate the nightmares or hugging or the things that made Bridge unique.

"It's okay," Eric whispered. "You're going to be all right."

"You'll have all your books and toys," Sky added, looking worried because none of Bridge's previous crying spells had equaled the intensity of this.

"I don't want to!" Bridge wailed. The moment he had seen Manx at the door, he had gone running into the boys' room, hiding under his blanket.

"Bridge," Taylor whispered. Tears were glistening in her eyes as she gently smoothed down his ruffled hair and pressed a kiss to the crown of his head. Bridge continued to sob into Eric's neck, his grip tightening.

The four of them walked out into the living room where Manx was. If it was possible, Bridge began to wail more loudly. Taylor carried his duffel bag and blankets, while Sky was lugging the crate of toys. Eric noticed that he had added the dinosaur cup to the odd assortment of things that Bridge had amassed while he had been here.

"Bridge," Eric said in a soothing voice. "It's okay. You can do this. You're brave."

The baby's sobs were dying out and turning into sniffles. A moment later, Eric realized that Bridge had managed to cry himself to sleep. He dropped to his knees to that Sky could hug Bridge. Taylor kissed him again. They went out to Manx's car and settled Bridge into the car seat in the back, putting his things on the seat next to him. Bridge was fitfully sleeping, holding Olive. His face was tear-streaked and he looked miserable.

Manx drove away without a word.

Eric felt Sky press himself to his side as the car disappeared down the block. His heart felt like it was bruised and aching, like someone had squeezed a hand around it in an attempt to hurt him. All of them had loved Bridge so much that it hurt. It was back to being just him and Sky with Taylor around occasionally.

What other cruel blows would there be for them in the future? 

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** I'm going to recap the conference I had with Jepoliant about the order of events in this story. There is a chapter that explains Crugger's motives and rationale in detail and I had toyed with the idea of placing it before the _Our Beginning_ section. (It is scheduled to come later in the piece.) However, it makes more sense placed in the original spot. So, I made an executive decision, and Jepoliant agrees with me, to not alter the chapter order of the piece. In conclusion, all will be explained, but some explanations will have to wait. That did seem to be the main concern in the last bout of reviews. I promise there is a reason for everything. 

With that diatribe out of the way, the response to this piece is still blowing me away! I appreciate the comments and concerns that all of you raised. I have some of the coolest reviewers around. :) (And the flame made me laugh - must have been the word 'regret.') Thanks for your continued support of this piece!


	4. Our Beginning III

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

**Chapter Three: Our Beginning III**

_Year 2012_

It was Open House day at the SPD Academy. Katherine Manx paused in the doorway to the lounge, her green eyes scanning the roomful of rowdy kids and the ghost of a smile tugging at her lips. There was so much _life_ in this room. Most of the kids were junior high aged, about ten or eleven, and thinking about joining SPD at age fifteen. They got refreshments, a tour and opportunities to have all of their questions about coming to the academy answered by cadets, officers and the support staff here.

She let out a long breath. It always happened on these days – she wondered about those six children she had helped abduct so long ago. Legally, nothing had been done wrong. Doggie had gone to court and proved that the children were, for all intents and purposes, the result of SPD activities and SPD needed to decide where to place them for their best interests. It was a lot of bureaucratic garbage, but it had cleared Doggie and SPD of all charges.

Their parents had been so sad when they left the courtroom that day.

Kat shook her head. That had happened a long time ago – nearly six years ago. All of the children were fine. She made sure of it herself. Kidnapping those children had not been something she wanted to do, so she made it her responsibility to see to them and make sure that they were all right. However, Doggie was in charge of SPD and didn't want a repeat of what had happened to his home planet. But he didn't know their parents, hadn't worked with those people, didn't know how much their children meant to them…

Three blonde heads caught her eyes.

Yes – their adopted mother had said they would be here – Austin, Paris and Sydney Drew. The former two were twins while the latter was their younger sister by a year. All three of them had blonde hair – straight from their real mother – and blue eyes. Her smile grew sad in the wake of looking at them. The twins took after their father, tall and lean with the angular facial features, while Sydney looked like her mother, shorter with rounded features.

The terms of their adoptions had been simple – at age fifteen, each child must be enrolled at the SPD Academy. Well, it looked like the adopted parents of the Drew children were working on making that a reality.

"See?" their mother was telling them. "It will be great here."

Sydney looked worried, glancing at the other kids in the room. Austin had a doubtful expression on his face, as if this was not what he had envisioned for his life. Paris had her arms crossed over her chest, looking defiant.

"It will not be great here," she spat, squaring her tiny eleven-year-old shoulders. "We don't want to go here. All the other kids get to chose. How come we don't?"

Their adopted mother looked exasperated, like this was a conversation they had often. "I've explained this to you, Paris," she said in a tone that was fast losing patience. "You have special powers and SPD needs you."

"More than I need them," Paris muttered.

"Paris," her mother said in a warning tone.

Paris opened her mouth to speak again, but Austin grabbed her sleeve, saying something in a made-up language. His sister glared at their mother, but didn't say anything else. She responded in the made-up language.

"Haven't I told you two to stop that?" their mother said angrily. "You are too old to be talking in a language that is pretend!"

Kat had a feeling that the language did exist between the twins. She watched as their mother left them for a moment to talk to someone about the education programs. Paris looked completely and totally livid, her eyes shooting daggers at her mother. Austin just sighed, looking bruised. Kat had a feeling that he was constantly running interference between his adopted mother and his twin.

"Do we really have to come here?" Syd asked, still looking worried.

"Unfortunately," Paris said angrily.

"Paris," Austin said in a patient tone of voice. "I've checked the handbook here. If we come here, then we can stay here. We don't have to leave for holidays."

"Really," she looked interested now.

"But what would Mom and Dad do?" Syd questioned.

"They're not our parents," Paris retorted.

Austin shushed her just as their mother came back to them.

Kat sighed, her heart breaking for them. She had followed the Drew siblings from the moment that she and Doggie had taken them from the driveway of their uncle. A rich childless family had been lined up for their adoption – a family with no hope of ever having children and wanting the instant family that the Drew children could provide. Of course, the couple had been willing to send them to SPD and cope with the powers that the kids' had.

Nothing had been flowers and fairy tales. Paris had run away from home several times, aided and abetted by her phasing power. Not knowing what else to do with a rebellious child who refused to call her adopted parents 'mom' and 'dad', she had spent a year in a special school that catered to children with discipline problems. All of that could have been avoided if her adopted parents had just been willing to let her express herself.

Austin had always been quieter than his sister and fought the blows that were dealt to him. Kat learned that the adopted parents often looked to Austin to correct Paris' behavior problems. When he wasn't working hard at school in order to please, he was expected to keep the peace in the house. He shouldn't have to be responsible for Paris, but his parents made it that way.

Kat watched the youngest sibling. Syd looked torn between two worlds. It was obvious that she was fascinated by the world of wealth and prestige that her adopted parents could offer, but didn't want to lose her siblings. It was insane that their mother was expecting a child – a ten-year-old – to choose between her older siblings and them. If she had known that the Drew children would end up in such a precocious situation, she would have put them elsewhere.

Their mother herded them out of the room, probably before Paris could make a scene.

_I wish I could help you_, she thought as they left. _I wish I could have made Doggie see reason six years ago. I'm sorry – I'm sorry…_

* * *

_Year 2018_

"No getting any girls pregnant."

Schuyler Tate rolled his eyes as he and his father walked down the hallway to his room at the SPD Academy. Summer vacation for the cadets was over and it was time to start a new year of training, education and experiences. It had been a running joke between him and his father about getting girls pregnant. The sex talk that had happened years ago had ended with 'use a condom, dammit.' Not that Sky could claim any firsthand knowledge about this.

His room was empty when he entered, just as he had left it at the end of the term. His roommate and best friend, Dru, had been reassigned to the Nebula Academy to complete his training, leaving Sky without a roommate for the new year. Since all the other cadets in his year had roommates, he was probably going to be assigned a newbie. The earliest age of enrollment at the academy was fifteen with potential graduation at eighteen, depending on the track. Sky had chosen the longer, ranger track. Almost all of his class had been on the shorter, officer track that meant basic police work.

"I'm serious about the 'getting girls pregnant' thing."

"I know that, Dad," he replied, trying not to smile.

"Sure you do."

Sky watched as his father, Eric Myers, dropped one of his duffel bags on his bed and gave him an appraising look. All right, so the pair of them didn't normally pass for father-son since Eric had Asian features, black hair, dark eyes and olive-colored skin. Sky had blonde hair, blue eyes and managed to get a tan every summer, whether he tried or not. Eric was his adopted father, but was the only parental figure Sky had ever known.

"Dru got assigned to the Nebula Academy," Sky reminded him. "The wild parties won't be thrown in our room anymore."

"How about you don't throw parties, just attend them? I don't really like getting phone calls from Crugger telling me about your social life."

Those calls had been frequent. First, it had been that Sky didn't have enough of a social life and wasn't making friends. Then it had been that he had too much of a social life and needed to cut down on his group of friends. Well, most of his friends had graduated, so it didn't matter.

"Everyone graduated. I don't think there'll be wild parties."

His father just smiled. "Be nice to your new roomie. Just because you and Dru turned out to be best friends doesn't mean that this one will be the same way."

Words of wisdom from the man who used to say, 'I work alone.' Sky didn't reply, just shook his head and began to put his clothes into his dresser. The only major fight he and his father had ever had was over whether or not he was going to go to the SPD Academy. It had been something Sky wanted to do for a long time. His father had been a ranger—and the SPD Academy was the only way he was going to be able to follow in those footsteps. Eric hadn't wanted him to go, but hadn't been able to give a concrete reason.

"Here it is, room 203."

Sky looked up at the sound of a 'mom' voice. A woman was guiding a new cadet into the room. And the kid was a new cadet—looked like he had just turned fifteen in time to be enrolled for this year.

"Are you Schuyler?" she asked.

"I go by Sky," he corrected automatically.

"This is Bridge Carson," she said, indicating her son. "He's your roommate."

Obviously. Sky looked back to his father. Eric was frowning at Bridge, but didn't look like he was about to say something about it. The kid looked scared, like this was the last place he had wanted to be. God, Sky remembered move-in weekend his first year. He had been so excited, especially because he had found out his roommate was an alien. He also couldn't wait for the orientation weekend to be over, so his dad would go home. Sky was the type of student who lived three minutes away from the academy and was used to being able to go home a couple times a month, just to get away from everything.

"I'll go to the car to get the rest of your things," the mom said, leaving the room.

Bridge sagged onto his bed with relief after her exit. He looked around the room with renewed curiosity now that his mother was absent. "This is kind of nice, huh?" Bridge said, more to himself that Sky and Eric. He noticed that Bridge was wearing gloves… and it was almost ninety degrees outside.

Sky was one of the few cadets with special powers. There were only three others from what he could tell and the three of them were siblings. Maybe Bridge was one of the ones with special powers and that was why Crugger had them rooming together. Although, in all honesty, Sky couldn't help him hone his power since the power was unique to the person. Bridge wouldn't be wearing gloves if he could create force fields with his mind, like Sky.

"How long have you been here?" Bridge asked him.

"It's my fourth year," he replied.

"Wow!" his roommate breathed. "So you're, like, eighteen?"

"Yeah. If I had been on the officer track, then I would have graduated last spring."

"You're on the ranger track? Cool! Me too!"

That meant Sky was going to be seeing a lot of Bridge. There were others on the ranger track—notably the five that were first in line to become rangers. He and another girl that he didn't know well were the younger cadets on the ranger track. The twins of the three siblings were on the officer track, even though Crugger kept trying to get them on the ranger track.

"That was your mom?" Sky asked him.

Bridge nodded, making a face. "My dad couldn't be bothered to come up here and my mom's going to act all overprotective."

"This is my dad," Sky added, motioning to Eric.

"Eric Myers," his father said to Bridge.

"No offense, but you guys don't look like—"

"I'm adopted," he said quickly.

"Really?" Bridge's whole face lit up. "Me too!"

Sky exchanged a glance with his father. This was going to be an interesting year.

* * *

"A-Squad rangers… step forward when I say your name."

Sky stood at attention with the seven others on the ranger track. The first round of ranger powers was ready and Crugger was dividing the cadets on the ranger track into two groups. The A-Squad, who would get the powers and start work on the alien forces trying to get to Earth illicitly, and the B-Squad… the latter was the squad that he knew he would be assigned to. The other five cadets were older and had more years of experience.

Crugger read off five names. Sky was left along with Bridge and the youngest of the three siblings, Sydney. It stood to reason… none of them were old enough to become rangers and handle the power. Bridge was fifteen, he was eighteen and Syd was sixteen. There was no way Crugger would give ranger powers to a bunch of teenagers.

"Report to Doctor Manx."

"Yes, sir!"

The five A-Squad rangers saluted and filed out of the room. The three of them were left, standing in front of Crugger. He gave them scrutinizing looks.

"You three will continue your training," he said. "You will be the B-Squad cadets and will eventually have ranger powers, but not for a few years." He paused. "You all have unique gifts and you must learn to hone these. Dismissed."

They saluted him and left the room. "Yes!" Bridge said the minute they were in the hallway. "This is so awesome!"

"Yeah," Syd agreed, her blonde ponytail bouncing along. "We're, like, more than just cadets now."

Sky remained silent. Neither of them understood that this was not a promotion. It was just a new name for what they had already been.

* * *

"I don't get it, Dad. I feel like I know Bridge from somewhere, but I can't place where."

Eric cradled the phone to his ear, surprised that it had taken this long for Sky to realize that he had once known Bridge. Of course, Sky had been six at the time and Bridge had been three—and there was a huge difference between a three-year-old and a fifteen-year-old.

"You do know Bridge," he said softly. "He stayed with us for about three months when he was three years old."

"Huh," Sky said. "That explains why the dinosaur stuffed animal is so familiar." There was a pause. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't be sure."

"This is weird."

Eric let out a long breath. He couldn't tell Sky the entire truth without revealing something about his own past that he couldn't know. "You two were like brothers then," he said, carefully picking his words.

"I don't know…"

"Just be nice, Sky. You took care of him once. You can do it again."

* * *

There had been an accident with a training exercise. No one had been seriously hurt, but Bridge had gotten a piece of metal lodged in his arm. He was supposed to be in the clinic right now to have someone look at it. Sky had managed to shield them from the brunt of the explosion, but there hadn't been enough time to create a large enough and substantial enough force field. He and Syd had escaped with nothing more than a few bruises.

_Sky!_

He turned slowly down the hall. That had sounded like Bridge's voice, but Bridge was supposed to be in the clinic.

_Sky! SKY!_

No—that was in his head. _Bridge! Get out of my head!_

_ I'm sorry._ Fear and panic filled the connection. Bridge was psychometric, meaning he could touch things and see human emotions from them. He was also telepathic, which meant he could open his mind and dive into other people's minds. He didn't do it often, but it was always jarring when it did happen. Something was wrong with Bridge.

_What's wrong?_

_ Needles…_ Oh no… Bridge had a piece of metal lodged in his arm, but, even if the cut didn't need stitches, then he would almost certainly need a tetanus shot. And Bridge was needle-phobic like no one's business. He practically went into a state of shock when he was confronted with a needle.

_I'll be right there!_

Sky turned and ran down the hall to the clinic. A few seconds later, he raced into the small room. Bridge looked close to tears and the woman holding the syringe looked beside herself. She had no clue what to do with someone so afraid of needles. Bridge was breathing shallowly, meaning he had probably hyperventilated at least once. He moved to where Bridge was sitting and put his hands on his shoulders.

"It's all right," he said softly, but firmly.

Tears began to run down Bridge's cheeks. He shook his head. "No…"

Sky just pulled Bridge into a huge bear hug, holding him tightly enough to give him comfort, but also hold him still long enough for the woman to give him the shot. Bridge began to cry in earnest, clutching Sky's uniform jacket tightly. The woman quickly gave Bridge the shot and put a band-aide over it. She then left the room.

"I'm sorry," Bridge whispered, pulling away from Sky and wiping at his tears.

"It's not a problem," Sky replied.

"I feel like such a baby."

"You're not the only person afraid of needles."

"But I—"

"Bridge, just shut-up for once in your life." He paused. "Crugger told us to take the rest of the day off and finish getting ready for the winter holidays."

That was something that Bridge was looking forward to. He wasn't going to spend Christmas with his family. (Or Hanukah… since Bridge's adopted family was Jewish.) He had gotten permission to spend Christmas with Sky and his father. Bridge had talked and asked questions about almost nothing else for the past week.

Bridge nodded and the pair of them headed back to their room.

* * *

"Do we really have to go home for Christmas?" Sydney Drew asked her older sister. Paris shook her head, her blonde hair in place and her blue eyes distant.

"No," Paris replied. "We've got nothing to lose by staying here."

Life wasn't fair. Syd fell silent as she looked out the window in the room that the sisters shared at the academy. Snow was falling in gentle flakes over the school grounds, making it look like Christmas, but Syd couldn't have been less in the spirit. Their adopted parents had sent a message to them, saying that, although Austin had been assigned to the Nebula Academy and was now in another galaxy, they still expected Paris and Syd home for the holidays. It wasn't like the holidays would be bearable. Their mother would drop hints that she wanted expensive gifts that neither sister could afford and their father would hide behind his newspaper.

She wished that they knew who their real parents were. Syd had been four when the adoption took place. All she had of times before that were insubstantial memories—a man with sandy blonde hair and a gentle smile spinning her through the air, a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes to match her own putting a band-aide on her knee, running through the backyards of a neighborhood to someone's house, going to a bay to see the boats… Paris remembered a little more than her since she had been five when it happened, but the force of time had caused her to forget the name of the town, their parents and all other pertinent details that might lead them to the life they had twelve years ago.

"No one can force us to go home," Paris said with determination. "We can have Christmas here and have more fun."

"I wish Austin were here."

Paris was silent. Austin was her twin and the pair shared a bond that only twins could. Both could phase through solid material and almost read each other's thoughts. Their parents had always told them that they would go to the SPD Academy. There was no choice. It just _was_. None of them wanted to attend. Austin had wanted to be a firefighter, while Paris had her sights set on being a nurse. Syd, always the actress, had wanted to be a Broadway star. But no… the only option was the SPD Academy. They were being punished right now… Crugger thought that if he split up Austin and Paris, he might get Austin on the ranger track. Paris had been on the ranger track, but had been taken off of it her first year due to behavior problems.

Her sister wasn't a bad person—she just didn't like people telling her what to do. "We'll stay here," Syd said in a small voice.

Paris turned to her and forced a smile. "What are your friends doing?"

Syd scowled. "They aren't my friends."

"All right, your fellow squad members."

"Bridge is going to stay with Sky at his house over the break."

"Think they'd let us tag along."

Syd snorted. "I doubt it. I'm not really friends with either one of them."

"Well, we'll just have to make the best of things."

"When is Austin coming back from the Nebula Academy?"

It was Paris' turn to scowl. "Never. He won't agree to the ranger track, no matter what Crugger threatens him with."

"I don't understand why you don't like Crugger or Kat."

Paris shook her head. "There's something about them… it's like they've done things in the past that they want to forget."

Syd sighed and went back to the window. She would never understand why Paris hated the head of the SPD Academy so much. Crugger had been fair with Paris' previous behavior problems. Now Austin's reassignment to the Nebula Academy could be that he wanted their brother to have more training… Kat was nice, always helping them and introducing new weapons and training programs. Then again, Paris had always been dark and brooding.

"We could go Bronley Hale hunting," Paris said. "He's supposed to be around Newtech sometime over Christmas."

"You're kidding!" Syd breathed. "He is, like, the hottest of hot pop stars."

Paris smiled. The pair of them were back on mutual territory.

* * *

Eric smiled to himself as he finished putting dinner together in the kitchen. Sky and Bridge interacted like a pair of brothers. He had told Sky not to tell Bridge about his stay with them all those years ago, since it was likely that Bridge didn't remember and it would only drive him nuts because he would start trying to remember.

"I don't see how a collective dream would bring an intruder to the academy."

Sky was being his normal skeptical self, while Bridge was being an imaginative dreamer who thought anything was possible. "It could happen," Bridge replied. "Like, if we all had the same dream and then, like, it became reality somehow…"

He tuned out the rest of the overlong description about collective dreams. If there was one thing he had observed, it was that Bridge tended to rely on the mind and the collective unconscious a lot in his theories. Of course, if he was psychometric and telepathic, he might feel the same way.

Bridge was sitting on the couch, a couple books spread out around him—a dream dictionary among them. He had started out trying to figure out the meaning of a dream he had had, before moving into the collective dream discussion with Sky, who wasn't buying it. The dream dictionary hadn't been helping, since Bridge had said something about a red house and the meaning of the color red didn't make much sense. Sky had been moving in and out of the room with a basket of laundry.

"Fold your socks," Sky said, throwing a pile of laundry at Bridge.

"Hey!" Bridge protested. "Don't squash Olive!" Olive, the stuffed dinosaur that Eric remembered from twelve years ago, was living on the couch since that was where Bridge was sleeping. (Sky had long since gotten rid of the bunk beds and invested in a double bed.)

"I can't believe you still sleep with that thing," Sky muttered.

"Never underestimate the power of transitional objects," Bridge intoned. "You should get one, Sky. It'd make you feel better."

"Right," Sky replied, rolling his eyes and moving into the kitchen. He reached into a cupboard and began pulling out plates to set the table.

Eric just continued stirring the contents of the frying pan. He wished that Bridge and Sky could have grown up as brothers. Bridge had regained so much of who he had been on Mirinoi. It made him wonder how much Bridge had lost living with neurotic parents whose one task was to make sure that he went to the SPD Academy.

"I think when we get to be rangers," Bridge was saying more to himself than anything. "I want to be the Green Ranger, because then I'll be the same color as Olive."

"That's just… special, Bridge."

Bridge looked up at Sky as he set the plates on the table. "Yeah, I know. You're going to be the Red Ranger. I've heard _that_ a million times."

Sky didn't reply, but Eric could see that it was something he desperately wanted. He had trained so hard and so long that it would almost be insane for him not to get it. Well, he would see just what happened with that. Sky might be good at what he was doing, but he sometimes forgot that the other people he worked with were just that—people.

"I think I should put your Christmas present in a trust fund," Bridge told Sky. "That way it would multiply over the years."

"Get in here and eat," Eric said, cutting off a forthcoming musing about whether or not a trust fund really would multiply the Christmas present. _Ah, Bridge_, Eric thought. _It would have done us all so much good to have you around when you were growing up._

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** Slightly longer chapter than usual - that is all Jepoliant's fault. Which reminds me - Jepoliant is now my official beta reader for this piece. Thanks to Jepoliant! Also, thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. The support and comments means a lot to me! 


	5. Our Beginning IV

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

**Chapter Four: Our Beginning IV**

_Year 2019_

The man roughly pushed her out the door. She fell to the ground, throwing her hands out to break her fall and receiving burning pain in return. Moving slowly so she could sit, she inspected her hands. They were scraped and beads of blood were beginning to form. Tears burned in her eyes, mingling with the light, misty rain. Living on the streets hurt so much… she was tired of being in pain, tired of being a freak, tired of living…

Elizabeth Delgado got to her feet, refusing to let anyone take away her dignity and her pride. She had survived almost ten years of this. She could survive more. No one would have guessed that she was just sixteen and had been through more than a person her age had the right to. She had never thought she would stoop as low as to sell herself in exchange for some food, but an aching, growling stomach had made that decision for her.

There had been no real reason for her to run away from the group home when she was six years old. She had been treated like everyone else—a camper at an extended camp. There had been food, a bed, warmth, people to talk to… but vague memories of parents who had loved her and hadn't wanted to give her away drove her. Even at the tender age of six, she wanted to find them, knowing somewhere that they would welcome her back. She hadn't known how she would find them and ten years of searching produced no results. Every so often, the truant officer would get her in school, but the education was spotty. She knew enough to get along on the streets. It looked like the streets were where she would be staying.

Z moved down to an alley. The back door to an Italian restaurant was here and the manager was sympathetic to her. He often gave her food in exchange for sweeping the dining room or washing some dishes. At least he didn't demand her body as payment. She sank down beside the trash cans, blending into the scene. The smell of freshly cooked food mingled with the scent of garbage. She reached into the neck of her shirt and pulled out a locket. There were a few things she had of her life from before the group home. One was a 'Z' necklace that she had lost almost four years ago. The other was this locket. There were no pictures in the heart-shaped locket, but it was sterling silver and looked like someone had paid a bit to get it. She could never bring herself to hock it.

"Elizabeth?"

She quickly put the locket under her shirt and scrambled to her feet. "Mrs. Mancuso," she said breathlessly.

The manager's wife smiled. "Honey, what are you doing back there? It's freezing! Get inside the kitchen and warm up."

Z was only too happy to obey. She moved into the bustling kitchen, following Mrs. Mancuso. The staff here didn't blink an eye at her worn clothing and dirty body. They were used to the managers bringing in homeless beggars and giving them a good meal. The woman guided her to a chair near the hot ovens.

"Pietro!" she called to one of the chefs. "Bring Z the special!" She turned back to Z. "The special is baked chicken parmesan with marinara sauce. I also have some nice cheesecakes that I just made today." Z nearly felt ill, it had been so long since she ate a proper meal. She hadn't even known she was numb with cold until the heat from the ovens began to thaw her out. Pietro brought her a steaming plate of food that she tucked into with gusto. If it wasn't for people like Mrs. Mancuso, she didn't know what she'd do.

"Stephanie!" Z looked up and watched a man with chocolate-colored skin that she hadn't seen before walk in the back door of the restaurant. Mrs. Mancuso obviously knew him, because she allowed him to kiss her cheek. His clothes were worn, like her own, but he looked clean.

"Jack!" Mrs. Mancuso replied with a smile. "Looks like the devil brought you in here." She shook her head. "Still playing Robin Hood?"

Jack grinned. "Of course! There's people worse off than me."

"I assume you're here to beg some food for a poor starving family of twelve you found?"

He looked mildly surprised. "How'd you know?"

"That's what you always come here for." She paused and pointed to another empty chair near Z. "Go sit down. I can at least feed you before I open my heart to your cause."

Jack grinned again and headed for Z. She averted her eyes and studied her plate. She didn't know what to think of Jack or what to say to him. He looked like one of those on the upper level of street existence—someone who knew all the places to get free food and rooms and showers… It was something she had never been able to figure out. Most people told her to go home, when she didn't have a home to go to.

"Stephanie's great, isn't she?" Jack commented as he plunked himself into the chair right next to Z.

Z nodded, not sure what else to say.

"I'm Jack," he continued. "You are?"

"Z," she replied.

"Just Z?" She nodded again. "Is it short for something?"

"Elizabeth."

"So how did you get to Z?"

"It was what my parents called me."

"Your folks dead?"

"I don't know where they are."

Jack looked sympathetic. "That's rough. My folks died when I was thirteen. Been out on the streets ever since."

Z smiled, knowing he was a kindred spirit, but the others who had tried to help her fled the moment they learned about her power. She could replicate herself—make exact duplicates of herself for whatever reason. No one stuck around after they learned that about her. If he tried to help her, then he would just abandon her too.

"Eat!" Mrs. Mancuso said to Jack, handing him a plate of food. He smiled and took it, beginning to eat. The woman handed Z a piece of cheesecake as she took away the empty dinner plate.

Jack was nice, but she doubted she'd ever see him again.

* * *

Syd tried to keep a brave expression as Paris packed her things. Her older sister had just graduated from the SPD Academy and was a full-fledged SPD officer. She was moving into the SPD apartments reserved for the officers. They had tried to think of a way to stay together—Paris could stay in the dorms or Syd could move into the apartment with her. Regulations didn't budge on that issue. Cadets and officers could not room together. Officers couldn't stay in cadet housing and visa versa. 

Over the summer, Syd had gotten permission to stay with Paris, but would have to go back to cadet housing at the end of the summer. In a way, she envied Sky and Bridge. Her fellow B-Squad members were going to Sky's house for the summer. Bridge had a part-time job at a repair shop that fixed everything from computers to toasters. Sky, ironically enough, worked at a day camp for underprivileged kids. The pair of them would also have plenty of time to go to the beach, takes trips and do the other things that made summer fun.

Syd would be doing none of that. She had gotten an internship with the computer experts at SPD for the summer, although she wasn't looking forward to it. Computers were a love of hers, but she'd much rather work on them and learn about them on her own territory—in her room or outside on the grounds. She didn't want to be locked away in a dark room all summer.

"Shouldn't you be packing?" Paris asked her.

Syd let out a long breath. "Yeah. I should."

Paris turned to her and smiled. "It will be okay. I'll still be on the grounds with you and there's no rule about officers and cadets visiting each other's quarters."

"But you won't be close anymore!" Syd said, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. "I don't want to lose another sibling."

"You won't," Paris assured her, pulling her in for a hug. They had gotten no news from Austin in a long time and both were worried. Paris thought that something bad might have happened to him, but she couldn't be sure since he was in another galaxy and not right down the hall.

Paris had turned eighteen in the spring. Syd had her seventeenth birthday, but could only lament the fact that she was not eighteen. Their parents sent more notes, requesting them to come home. As Paris said so many times, _they aren't our parents. Somewhere, we've got real parents that love us for what we are._

"I'm going to start saving money and leave days," Paris whispered. "So I can hire a detective and start looking for our real parents."

Syd smiled bravely. There was so much that their real parents would tell them, like how the three of them ended up as pure blondes with blue eyes. No one else at the academy had naturally blonde hair like the three siblings. She touched the end of the French braid that Paris had put her hair into. The pair of them did like to talk all the time about hair, make-up and clothes. Most people thought they were vain, but Syd knew otherwise. Talking about purely superficial things had been their escape. Worrying about what make-up would clash with what outfit took worry away from what their adopted parents might demand of them—visits home, gifts, the respect they never earned…

"Come on," Paris said. "You need to pack. Then we can check out our place for the summer. Decide where the Bronley Hale posters will be most aesthetically pleasing."

She laughed. "We've got priorities."

"Of course!"

Syd turned back to the open suitcase that was half-filled with her clothing. She picked up a pair of pajamas and set them in the suitcase. She withdrew her hands and stared at them. They had perfectly manicured nails… nothing looked unusual about them, until she concentrated hard enough on what her hand was touching, then it would turn into that substance—iron, diamond, brick, even cloth. She had learned a long time ago, not to think too hard about what she was touching, unless she needed to in a battle. Dr. Manx was forever telling her she had a gift and she needed to use it. But the more Syd expressed it, the more she felt isolated from the outside world. Paris understood and, to a lesser degree, so did Sky and Bridge, but embracing it wasn't helping like Manx said it would.

All of them were freaks and alone in the world.

* * *

Something was wrong. Z could feel it. She felt unnaturally hot—and it wasn't from the hot summer sun that was beating down on her. The heat felt like it was coming from underneath her skin and like it would boil anything that touched her. 

She dragged her aching body into an alley and collapsed against a trash can. Movement was not an option, since she couldn't make her body do what she wanted it to. She wished she could get to Mrs. Mancuso, who would surely help her. But the restaurant was too far away. She would never make it there.

Tears began to well in her eyes. Nothing had been this bad before. No… she didn't need to cry about it. The pain would end—eventually.

"Someone is in trouble down there."

"It's a back alley. Of course someone's in trouble."

"No… it's worse than that. I can feel it."

"How?"

"She's projecting her emotions. You know, like, when I know that you're upset about something because you project that emotion."

"All right. Fine."

Z could make out the shapes of two guys coming down the alley. One was taller, while his companion was shorter than him. Her vision was blurry. She couldn't make out their facial features or even make her tongue work long enough to ask their names. The shorter guy knelt down next to her and felt for a pulse.

"She's alive."

A faint blue sheen appeared behind the other guy. "I've shielded the alley. Where are we going to take her?"

"I think there's a halfway house near here."

Z struggled to stay conscious, but succumbed to what her mind wanted. She slipped into unconsciousness where the pain left her.

She didn't know how long it had been when she opened her eyes next. Sun was coming through a window and she was in a bed. Quickly, she sat up and then wished she hadn't moved so fast. The worst of the fever was gone, but she still felt weak and achy.

"Slow down!" a voice said.

She glanced to the side of the bed and saw Jack sitting there. "Where am I?"

"Susie's place," Jack replied. "Two guys brought you yesterday."

"Did they say who they were?"

Jack shook his head. "No."

Z fell back against the pillows. The bed was nice. It had been the first time since the group home that she remembered having a bed all to herself. She had heard of a halfway house run by a woman named Susie, but never had the courage to come here.

"I've got a business proposition for you," Jack said. She nodded. "I run a sort of covert op. I… acquire… food and clothes and give it to the poor."

Z laughed. "Jack, we are the poor."

"No, I mean the people who have less than us." Z didn't see how anyone could have less than they did, but let him continue. "You'd have a share in the take. Think about it, Z. Helping other people and a chance to get clothes and food yourself."

"Where would we sleep?"

Jack smiled. "I've got an eighteen wheeler cab for hauling stuff. The back has bunk beds. It's not much, but it's better than sleeping outside."

Not sleeping on the streets and food and clothes… Z nodded. "All right, but on a trial basis only. I don't want to be roped into something forever."

He grinned. "No binding contracts. I swear."

Z returned the grin. She'd be helping others for a change…

* * *

Syd scowled as she pushed her trunk down the hall. She had an hour to finish getting her stuff back in her old room before Crugger wanted the B-Squad to report to the command center for a start-of-year briefing. Paris had tried to get the day off to help Syd move her stuff from the apartment, but no such luck. 

"Need some help?"

She glanced over her shoulder to see Bridge coming down the hall. "Sure," she replied. "You and Sky are back?"

Bridge nodded, grasping the handle on one end of her trunk. "We got back yesterday."

"Yeah well, my sister was going to help me move, but Crugger gave her a weekend shift, so I'm doing this by myself."

"You could have asked me and Sky." They hefted the trunk between them.

"Like Sky's going to help me do anything."

"He might. He's very chivalrous."

"To who?"

"He just likes you."

"Yeah, right," Syd retorted as they deposited the trunk in her room. Boxes, bags and folded bedding were all over the place. She wouldn't even have time to make a dent in organizing this mess before Crugger wanted to see them. Her eyes went to the side of the room that had been Paris'. Well, she wasn't going to have a roommate this year, as per Crugger. Apparently there were no incoming female cadets on the ranger track and there was an even number on the officer track. Not that it bugged her… it would be a pretty big adjustment to go from rooming with Paris to a complete stranger.

"Your sister graduated?"

She looked up at Bridge. He was a nice guy. He tended to ramble and wear his heart on his sleeve, but he was a loyal friend. "Yeah."

"Are you going to miss her?"

"She just moved to the officer apartments. I'll see her."

"But not as often."

Syd absently picked up Peanuts, the stuffed elephant that Paris had given her when she was five. Peanuts had belonged to Paris, but, after the adoption, she had decided that Syd needed the memory of their old life more than she did. It would be different coming back to an empty room at night and not be able to expect to see Paris reading a magazine or a book or checking her e-mail.

"No," she agreed. "I guess I'm just afraid that Crugger will send her away like he sent Austin away."

"Your brother?"

She nodded. "And Paris' twin."

"Where did Austin get sent?" There was compassion in Bridge's eyes.

"The Nebula Academy." Syd felt a lump lodge in the back of her throat and tears begin to sting her eyes. "I don't want to be alone."

Bridge sat down on the bed next to her, putting his arm around her. "You're not alone," he said softly. "You've got me." He paused. "And Sky." She opened her mouth, but he cut her off. "I know he's not the friendliest guy in the world, but he'll always cover your back."

Syd leaned into Bridge's embrace. He put both arms around her, pulling her into a hug. It had never occurred to her to confide anything in Bridge, but… she supposed there was a certain amount that he could pick up because of his powers. She was almost amazed that he didn't go into sensory overload more often.

She gently pulled away from him. "Thanks, Bridge."

He smiled. "Anytime."

The intercom crackled, meaning there was an incoming message. "B-Squad members please report to the command center right away."

Bridge frowned. "He's early."

They left her room, Syd giving a fleeting glance to all the junk. She had no idea when she was going to organize any of it now. Sky met them in the hall on the way to the command center and the three of them entered the room together.

"Cadets," Crugger greeted them.

"Sir," the three of them said and saluted in unison.

"I trust moving in is going smoothly."

Syd almost opened her mouth to say that she hadn't had enough time to move in since someone insisted upon having her sister work on the weekend, but didn't say it. There had to be an explanation. Maybe no one else could go on that shift and helping one's sister move wasn't a good enough excuse.

Bridge and Sky muttered neutral replies.

"Good," Crugger said. "Your training will start promptly at eight tomorrow morning." Normal schedule for them—getting ready to go and breakfast all before eight. "I'd also like to inform you that there will be a Parents' Night this year for those on the ranger track." Syd's heart fell. In previous years, the ranger track hadn't been required to participate in things like that. "I expect all your parents to be present. Dismissed."

They saluted again and retreated into the hall. Bridge looked a little disgusted with this turn of events while Sky looked like he always did—like he had a stick up his butt. Syd was downright scared. She hadn't talked to her parents since enrolling at the SPD Academy. What was she going to do about this?

She went back to her room, no longer interested in organizing it. 

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** Conner returns next chapter - for those of you interested in where he got to. The normal thanks go out - to Jepoliant for beta reading and to all you wonderful people who have taken the time to review this piece. It never fails to amaze me... With that said, on to the reviewer responses for those who reviewed chapter 4 (or 3 depending on how you look at it): 

_Anastasia Athene_ - I'm glad you like my portrayal of Bridge - he strikes me as the type of person who is completely mature about almost everything, but has a few things that he lapses back to childhood for. He's one of my favorites in this piece. Glad you're liking the story!

_BloomingViolets_ - Z is here! I didn't forget about her! lol As for reunions with their birth parents and finding out about their pasts - you'll have to keep reading and find out! I'm glad you like what's going on.

_Crimson Mystery_ - He does still have Olive. lol Glad you're reading and reviewing!

_fenestrae_ - Glad you like what's going on! Keep on reading...

_Funky In Fishnet_ - Thanks! Sam will be addressed in coming chapters - glad you like it!

_Giannola_ - Bridge is the Jewish one (just got done watching _Walls_ where he says he's Jewish.) When Sky talks about his father being a ranger, he is talking about Eric, since Eric can't tell him about Wes and Sky doesn't remember Wes. So, when we eventually see the picture, it will be changed to Eric in the picture. lol Thanks for reading!

_Jepoliant_ - Go away! I've already had this discussion with you...

_Juzblue_ - I can believe he still owns Olive. lol Glad you like it!

_MagCat_ - Here's Z! It's implied (or will be implied) that Eric and Taylor kept up the casual relationship was off and on bedmates. Austin and Paris become rangers? I can't answer that - you'll have to keep reading and find out!

_Mrs. Coolio_ - Thanks:)

_pinkpunkemodiva86_ - Whoops! I appropriated Bronley Hale from a Zenon movie, didn't I? (And I think he was Glenn McMillan's character too.) Glad it amused you and that you're liking the story!

_Silver Warrior_ - Crugger will be explained in time. Though, truthfully, I don't like his character on the show - just grates on my nerves. Could just be me... thanks for reading and reviewing!

_Slshadowfox_ - Thanks! Bridge did kind of have a homecoming without knowing it, huh? As for people lightening up, only time will tell.

_the real vampire_ - Conner's coming back next chapter! I promise!

_Weesta_ - I think I said in the author's note for the second chapter (Our Beginning I) that Jack will make a minor appearance in the story - he doesn't become the Red Ranger and doesn't have powers. In light of that, I appropriated his power and gave it to the twins. (And, now that I think about it, the twins should have different powers from each other, but since they supposedly came from the same egg... I'm thinking it could happen.) I'm glad you like everything that's going on with the characters - full explanations will be given in time!


	6. Coming Together

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

**Chapter Five: Coming Together**

_Year 2020_

Great. Thanks to Jack and his whole 'let's go help the SPD officers fight the robots, even though they were trying to arrest us' they were now in jail. This was just great. How long had they survived on the streets without getting arrested for their Robin Hood act? Long enough to know better than to help the police…

"You had to go back and help," she said in a sarcastic tone to Jack as they twiddled their thumbs in a jail cell.

He didn't get a chance to reply, because the big blue dog that had showed up after the battle came into their cell.

"Welcome. You are at Space Patrol Delta Headquarters—the most advanced center of its kind."

"You're cops," Jack said. It was a statement and not a question. Z fought the urge to give him a withering look. Of course, SPD was cops.

"No," the dog corrected. "Space Patrol Delta. We handle crime and criminals that have a negative impact on this planet."

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't realize feeding a hungry person was a threat to the planet," Z snapped, her patience with Jack, the dog and the whole situation wearing thin.

"Hear me out." The dog was calm. "This academy trains cadets to be the most elite crime-fighting force known to man—the Power Rangers. We defend the Earth against the darkest evils in the galaxy."

Jack scooted forward on the cot in the cell. "Hey, write this down. It'll make a great science fiction movie."

"The world has changed. And in the upcoming months, it will change as no one can imagine. I see potential in you. You can serve your time in prison or you can become a part of something bigger, something that makes a difference."

Z glanced at Jack. She had been talking about being part of something bigger. Jack bringing her into his whole Robin Hood crusade had awakened something in her. She wanted to do more than provide a jacket or some food for someone. Visions of being a superhero complete with a cape and saving the world had started to seem like the answer. "Can we think about this?" she asked.

"Of course." She exchanged a glance with Jack. There was no way that he would agree to something like this. It wasn't his way. She also had a feeling that the dog knew about her powers—something that she had hidden from Jack, since he didn't have powers of his own. "Time's up," the dog said after a few seconds. "Your decision?"

Z glanced once more at Jack. She hated to betray him like this—leave him in jail while she trooped off to join SPD. But she had come so far from rummaging through trash cans to find enough food to stay alive and selling her body for some money. God, she wanted to join SPD so badly that it hurt. Warm bed, food, uniforms, a small salary to buy clothes… everything she had dreamed of since she ran away from the group home. Maybe even enough money to hire a detective to help look for her parents…

She took a deep breath. "I'm in."

* * *

Training was going well, Bridge reflected as the three of them toppled their opponents. Of course, their opponents were cadets on the officer track and no match for the intensive combat training that the three of them had received. It was business as usual. 

He glanced at Sky and Syd. Both had changed since they all got back to the academy at the beginning of the year. Sky had gotten more authoritarian and focused solely on his academy related work. Bridge guessed that it was because being a ranger had been so close and now that they were rangers… well, Sky was probably trying to prove that Crugger had made a mistake in giving him the blue morpher. Syd was more open about the fact that she was superficial and about her rich adopted parents. This change had happened right after Parents' Night and Bridge wondered if she had been bought off. Parents' Night had been a disaster. Bridge had gotten away with a cursory 'hello' to his parents before wandering off to find Sky's dad, who felt more like a father to him than his own.

Now they were rangers… blue, green and pink… it made him wonder who Crugger was going to give the red and yellow morphers to, since no one else was imminently available for a promotion.

"Rangers!" The three of them turned and, upon seeing Crugger, saluted. "Elizabeth Delgado has decided to—"

"Hey!" the girl interrupted. Bridge frowned to himself. Wasn't she one of the criminals that they had to bring in earlier? Well, she had been an awesome fighter and, if it hadn't been for her and her friend, they probably wouldn't have defeated those robots. "Remember me?" she asked. "You can call me Z."

"Hey," Bridge said with a smile and a small wave. She seemed like a really great person, despite the fact that she was a criminal. Besides, he did like to be friendly to people.

"Hey," she replied, returning the smile.

"Miss Delgado has chosen to join SPD," Crugger explained. "I've assigned her to B-Squad." Oh no—that was going to get a protest from Sky.

"Sir, she's a criminal," Sky countered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Bridge wasn't sure who to agree with—Sky or Crugger.

"Duly noted," Crugger replied shortly.

"Sir, we've been here for years and you put her with us?" Sky protested.

"Cadet, you may be wise to remember that she was a worthy opponent, despite your prior training and greater number." Sky looked down at the ground, not happy that Crugger wasn't going to listen to his reasoning. "She is your new team member. I expect you to treat her as such." Crugger turned to leave. The three of them saluted, leaving a nervous looking Z facing three seasoned ranger cadets.

"So, uh, what do you guys do for fun?" Z asked, in an attempt to make small talk.

"Bring in thieves."

Great, Sky. Way to make her feel like even more of an outsider. She was projecting emotions of nervousness and fear, almost like she was afraid she wouldn't be accepted now that she had chosen to join them rather than fight them. Bridge decided to take the initiative.

"I'm Bridge," he said quickly, stepping forward and putting a body between Z and Sky. "This is Syd." Syd gave a half-hearted wave. "And Sky."

"Hey," she said, her voice faltering.

"So," he continued. "We're almost done here. I guess that you're rooming with Syd, so we can show you your room and take you on a grand tour. Get your uniform and stuff."

"Okay." Some of the bravado that Z had put on was wearing off. Sky looked disinterested while Syd looked less than happy about this potential roommate.

This was going to be… interesting…

* * *

The sun was setting, making it oddly dark in the room with a strange orange glow. Z knew she should get up from her bed and turn the light on, but she couldn't make herself move. It wasn't entirely because of the intense training schedule that she and the other SPD cadets had. She wasn't sure why she thought she would fit in here, but she didn't. All of them came from rich families or upper middle class families and hadn't had to worry about a thing in their lives. None of them knew loneliness and none of them knew pain. 

"Not going to dinner?"

She looked up to see Bridge standing in the doorway to the room that she shared with Syd. It was obvious that Syd had lived here first from the pink décor. Pink rug, pink curtains, pink bedding, pink slippers, pink stool, pink laptop… death of the flamingos.

Z shook her head. "I'm not hungry."

"Is it because Sky was yelling?"

She smiled at the wide, innocent expression on Bridge's face. They were almost the same age—she was four days older than him as she had found out during the tour of the grounds that he gave her. There was a childlike quality to Bridge that made her smile. He wasn't naïve—in fact, he was more aware of their shortcomings than they were. But it was like he accepted it and focused on the good qualities. From what she had been able to gather, he and Sky were closer than it appeared. Bridge was like his brother, having spent most of the holidays during their pre-ranger training days at Sky's house. His blue eyes were giving her a searching look, wanting an answer for her voluntary isolation.

"No," she said softly. "I was just thinking…" Z let that thought trail off, thinking of a way to phrase it. "I don't fit in here."

"Yes, you do!" Bridge immediately protested. "You have powers like we do. Your parents put you up for adoption. You're a ranger." He ticked off the list on his fingers. Those leather gloves were such an integral part of Bridge—she couldn't imagine him without them. It was also so like him to not see the obvious differences, but to see the similarities.

"You guys have adopted families that love you," she responded.

Bridge made a face. "Sky is the only one with an adoptive family that loves him." He paused and got a dreamy smile on his face. "His dad loves me too."

"Bridge?" Z interrupted the forthcoming train of thought.

The Green Ranger snapped out of his reverie. "What I mean is my adopted family doesn't really care about me. They went along with the whole 'adoption leads to conception thing', but it didn't. So they're kind of bitter about taking me in." He shrugged. "And Syd's family bought her off for all intents and purposes. They're, like, super-rich."

"How exciting. I grew up on the streets."

"So?" Bridge crossed the room and plopped himself down on the bed next to her. "My family doesn't give me crap." Z flinched at the harsher language. She wouldn't have expected Bridge to swear, even something as mild as that. His gloved fingers absently stroked the corner of the faded yellow baby blanket folded up under her pillow. It was the one thing, besides her necklaces, that was left from her childhood. The locket and the blanket… and the lost Z necklace. She suddenly had an idea.

"Bridge?" she asked softly, pulling the blanket from its hiding place. "Could you… touch this and tell me what you see?"

Bridge looked a little startled, like no one asked him to use his powers outside of their use for SPD. He was psychic—and even he had said he wasn't sure of the extent of his powers. "All right," he agreed, peeling his gloves off. He gently took the blanket from her, being careful not to touch anything else.

He closed his eyes, his brow furrowed. Z studied him, not sure what he was doing. Did he have to sort through things or did certain images come to him? He hadn't explained his powers, beyond the reason that he wore gloves all the time. His eyes opened and the blanket dropped onto the bed between them. Those blue eyes were almost haunted.

"They loved you, Z," he whispered. "They loved you so much."

"My parents?"

Bridge nodded, picking up his gloves and putting them back on. He looked thoughtful. "It's the same thing that my parents felt for me."

Z could see how he knew that and how it had comforted him all these years.

He stood up. "Come on! Let's go to dinner!"

"Bridge, I don't want to."

"Its pizza night," he wheedled, grabbing her arm and tugging at her.

"All right!" she agreed, allowing him to lead her out of the room. She wanted to know how Bridge bounced back so quickly from picking up intense emotions from objects…

* * *

Conner smiled at the giggling coming from the girls' bedroom. The apartments here were nice—two bedrooms, fully-functioning kitchen and bathroom, spacious living room with a clearly separated breakfast nook and laundry room. Crugger had said something about there being childcare available at all times. The girls would start school on Monday. 

His eyes went to the uniform lying on his bed. It was like the uniform he had seen some of the officers wearing, but instead of dark gray trim, it had red trim—Red Ranger trim. It was almost surreal, the fact that he was going to be a ranger again. Crugger had given him some preliminary information on the other cadets on the B-Squad. One had been training here for almost five years—the Blue Ranger. Conner found it amusing that his name was Sky. The Pink Ranger had been here three years and the Green Ranger had been here two years. The Yellow Ranger had just joined a few days ago. At least there would be two of them that had no idea what was going on.

The training schedule was on his desk next to the SPD handbook. The former happened on slow days, when tracking down criminals and conducting investigations was not a top priority. He had also gleaned that the Red Ranger had authority within the group. Orders issued by him had to be obeyed. So, he'd have to get to know the others quickly and hope that the fact that he was ten years older than them would be enough to garner respect.

He sank down onto his bed. Had this been the right thing to do? Being the Red Ranger again—it seemed too good to be true. He had hoped for the past, wanted things to be as they were in high school and now he was getting that chance again. Should he be doing this again? Most rangers were in their teens or twenties, the lone exception being Doctor Oliver.

It was almost time to meet the other B-Squad cadets. His position was strange as it was and Crugger had explained that, while he was technically a cadet, his title would be that of an officer—the base officer title being 'lieutenant.' Crugger was allowing leniency in light of his previous experience and age. There were no name tags on the uniforms, as each one had a badge encoded with the wearer's DNA. Uniforms could not be traded. The badge allowed someone to track the wearer's whereabouts.

His fingers traced the bright red trim. There was nothing to be done for it. He stripped out of his street clothes and changed into the uniform. It included a thigh harness for the standard issue laser blaster. The morpher clipped onto the belt—in a case, reminiscent of a cell phone case. The morpher held the ranger powers, acted as a communicator with the other B-Squad rangers, had a judgment mode for judging criminals and contained the containment device for transporting criminals.

Time to go… he rounded up the girls, taking them to the childcare center.

"Kira?"

He stumbled to a halt. There were a handful of other children milling about the room designated for babysitting. He had seen Kira a year ago at that open house at the school and now she was here? At SPD? His mind went blank. She smiled at him, sitting in a rocking chair watching the kids.

"Hi, Conner," she said easily. "You two must be Madeline and Christina."

"Uh-huh!" Christina said. "I didn't know you'd be here, Miss Ford. I always liked your music class. It was fun." The younger of his two daughters was off on a rambling tangent about music class in general.

Kira just smiled at her enthusiasm. "Why don't you two go ahead and look around?" Christina bounced off, inspecting a plastic box of Barbie dolls. Madeline drifted towards the book case. The former Yellow Ranger turned to Conner.

"You work here?" he asked.

"Better pay and benefits than the other school." She paused and glanced at his uniform. "You're the one they hired to be the B-Squad Red Ranger?"

Conner willed himself not to flush. "It's a long story."

"Better than living in your car?"

"We weren't going to live in the car. We were driving back to Reefside to go stay with my brother for a little while." Wait a minute—how did she know that? "How did you know about the car?"

"Gossip runs rampant here." The ghost of a smile fell over her lips. "Go to your meeting. The girls will be fine here."

He cast a fleeting glance at his daughters. Both were occupied. "I should be back later this evening," he said softly.

Kira just smiled at him. "Go. It wouldn't look good to be late your first day on the job."

Conner returned the smile and headed down the hall for the command center.

* * *

"Cadets, this is Conner McKnight. He will be the Red Ranger for the B-Squad." 

Sky looked at the man wearing the red uniform standing at the far end of the semi-circle they made around the main control panel. He looked normal enough, tall with brown hair in his mid-thirties. He clenched his teeth and kept his eyes focused on Crugger. _He_ should have the red morpher and not some new guy that Crugger brought in on a whim. McKnight was standing still, listening to their commander.

"He has been a ranger before," Crugger continued. "And he has powers like the rest of you. He is your leader and I expect you to treat him as such."

Leader… Sky fought to keep from grinding his teeth. This was the most ridiculous thing in the world. He had trained so hard, gotten the best test scores, honed his combat skills and his powers in order to be the best. Apparently, being the best didn't matter around here. The die had been cast. The five of them were wearing color-coordinated uniforms. Crugger had let a criminal and a has-been ranger on their team? This was not right!

"Discipline, control, teamwork—these are the elements that make you a Power Ranger. But these are things that the academy cannot teach you. These are things you must learn for yourself. Any questions?"

Sky wanted to ask why he had been given the blue morpher—but it wouldn't look good to ask about it in front of the person who had been given the red morpher. There was nothing to ask about. It was pretty clear what Crugger meant. He did grind his teeth.

"Let it go, Sky," Bridge said, catching his frustration or more, the projection of it. "Someone else got the red morpher."

Crugger pinned him with a penetrating stare. Sky hated it when he did that—it was like the dog could see into the depths of his soul and read his thoughts. "Sir," he spoke up, feeling the need to defend himself. "I know it would have made a difference fighting those goons."

"Who are you calling a goon?" Z asked, defense written into her tone.

"Not you," Syd corrected. "The other goons."

"They were weird, huh?" Bridge added, immediately going with the stream of consciousness in the room. That used to annoy Sky, but he knew why Bridge did it—to keep from going nuts with all the conflicting emotions in the surrounding area. "They had these big, like, metal soccer ball heads that were going like 'bing-bing.'" Bridge did an imitation of one.

"Krybots—Troovian robotic foot soldiers. They do not feel pain or emotion. They know no mercy. They are programmed to follow orders and to destroy." Crugger looked alarmed.

"And there was a blue one with an x-head," Syd added.

"A blue one?" Crugger looked beyond alarmed. "Gruumm's elite robotic guard. This is more serious than I thought. Do you know what they were after?" He asked, pinning Z with a similar look to the one he gave Sky. The Yellow Ranger squirmed under his glance.

"We had nothing of value. We gave everything we stole… er. acquired, to the poor." She looked a little nervous at the explanation.

"They were after something."

The alarm began to blare with the accompanying flashing red lights. Z visibly jumped at the noise, while McKnight looked up calmly. Syd let out a long breath, knowing that she now had to do some work that would mess up her manicure. Bridge frowned.

"A-Squad rangers report immediately to the command center!" came a voice over the intercom, probably Manx. "B-Squad rangers be ready for back-up."

"Finally! Some action!" Sky muttered.

Crugger glanced at McKnight. He nodded. "Let's go." First words he had said since entering the command center. He looked determined. Sky tried to rein his emotions in, lest Bridge pick up on something again. He should have been the leader, the one giving the orders to the team. He followed the others out of the command center and towards the parking garage that held all the SPD vehicles. A jeep and a motorcycle had been allotted to the B-Squad, although Sky could see they would need more sometime soon.

This was not fair. 

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note: **As if you couldn't have guessed, elements of this chapter came from _Beginnings 1 & 2_. I will continue to make use of elements of the cannon until _Shadow Part 1_ where I make my official departure from the cannon. If you aren't familiar with what happens in this episodes, feel free to e-mail me and I'll fill you in. :) Once again, thanks to Jepoliant for beta reading and to everyone who has taken a moment to read and review! The response to this still absolutely blows me away when I think about it. No reviewer responses because I'm swamped with end-of-the-year papers and exams. Drop me an e-mail with questions and put something like 'Kings and Vagabonds' in the subject line. Thank you so much for the awesome response to this! 


	7. Hidden Pride I

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

**Chapter Six: Hidden Pride I**

He would remain calm. He had been training at the SPD Academy for five years and some allowances had to be made for people who joined a few weeks ago. He clenched his teeth, seeing the corridor he was walking down and not seeing it. There was no excuse for a new trainee – however much previous experience he had – to completely ignore the most logical solution coming from the person on his squad with the most experience.

But he would remain calm. McKnight just had to see that he did know what he was talking and start listening to him. Their Red Ranger would also realize quickly enough that _he_ should have been the Red Ranger. Not that he expected Crugger to change the ranger standings, but he did expect from respect from the rest of team and McKnight. But no – the others had just moved on and accepted that McKnight was now their leader without so much as a single protest. It was almost like… betrayal. He had thought that at least Bridge and Syd would stand behind him – Delgado didn't matter since she was new and didn't understand the procedures.

He. Would. Remain. Calm.

Sky continued striding towards the lab. Kat had wanted to see all of them about something, but hadn't said what. Bridge had gone to the girls' room to get Syd and Z, while McKnight was supposed to meet them there. He wasn't sure that he wanted to go to this meeting, but academy regulations required that he did. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach and couldn't quite reconcile what he felt.

The object of his annoyance fell into stride with him at a corner.

"Tate," McKnight acknowledged cordially. A little too cordially.

"You should have listened to me," he growled. "We could have caught that guy if we had formed the Megazord right away." And it was true. They could have decimated the robot that the bounty hunter had been piloting and captured the perpetrator if McKnight _had_ listened to him and formed the Megazord. Their strength was the greatest when the Megazord was formed and it was almost impossible for a robot to defeat them.

"You don't know that, Sky," McKnight replied coolly and a little condescendingly.

"Actually, I believe I do," he retorted hotly. He was the one with the extensive training and the knowledge of the system. Who was McKnight to tell him what he did and didn't know about capturing thieves?

"Well," McKnight responded giving him a level stare. "Perhaps, if you spent a little more time with the team, you could enlighten us." He gave him a forced smile.

Sky was livid. "What is that suppose to mean?" he spat.

"You know what it means," the Red Ranger said, grabbing his upper arm and stopping their progress down the hall. "You spend all your free time by yourself. You only join us when you have to."

"That's within protocol," he snarled.

"Yes, it's within protocol," McKnight replied, sounding exasperated. "But it's not the way to bond as a team. The A-Squad is on the front lines fighting the Troovians. We are the defenders of Earth. We have to be a team. Maybe you could join us for a game of Light-Ball or for lunch or something!"

"And what would you know about it?"

"More than you think." He paused and raked a hand through his hair. "I was a ranger for a year – and I didn't have a choice about it. I know when to form Megazords and when not to. I know what I've gotten myself into. Do you?"

"My father—"

"Your father was a great ranger," McKnight interrupted. "But did he ever explain to you what he went through to get his powers, what he went through to keep them?" He shook his head. "You idolize and romanticize being a Power Ranger – you don't understand what it is actually about." McKnight released his arm.

"How do you know who my father is?" Sky asked softly.

"I know more than you think I do," McKnight replied. He stepped through the door to the lab. Bridge, Syd and Z were already in there, looking apprehensively at them. He let out a long breath and followed McKnight into the room.

* * *

Conner let out a long breath, pausing in the corridor that led to the cadets' rooms. There were actual things that could be considered insubordination on Sky's part – leaving his post when he had been told not to was the main one. Mostly, Conner could see where Sky was coming from and what his complaints were, but none of this would work unless Sky started to see that he couldn't change the color ranger he was.

All right, so the first blow to Sky's ego had been the armored bikes that he and Bridge had received. Then he had ordered Sky to stay with the diamonds that the Troovians had been trying to get. The latter order actually had a reason, even though Bridge had volunteered to stay with the diamonds. He hated feeling like the ogre in charge of the squad. Maybe Sky would have a better time coping with not being the Red Ranger if the person assigned to that post had been one of his peers, rather than someone literally recruited in a parking lot.

It didn't matter though – neither of them could change the color assignment. It wasn't such a big deal to Conner to be the Red Ranger – he hadn't had a choice initially and, even then, Doctor O had been in charge, not him. He would have been able to deal with being the Blue Ranger, since he was doing this to feed his family. But he did have a bigger perspective on what was happening. The A-Squad, for all intents and purposes, was missing in action. They were the front line, defenders of Earth. Ego battles shouldn't be their main focus.

The door to the room that Sky and Bridge shared was open.

He peered in the room. Bridge was nowhere to be found. Sky was lying on his bed, a picture propped up on his chest. He knocked on the open door.

"Mind if I come in?"

Sky shrugged. "Suit yourself."

"How did the meeting with Crugger go?" Their commander had wanted to see Sky after they had realized that the Krybots got the diamonds after Sky left his post, leaving the diamonds unprotected.

"Brutal." Sky's tone was clipped and mechanical. "Night duty for two weeks."

That was brutal. Conner came into the room and sat down on Bridge's bed. Sky sat up, putting the picture back on his nightstand. Conner got a good look at it. He recognized the man in the picture as Eric Myers, the Quantum Ranger. Anyone who knew anything about Sky knew that piece of information—and it was something that Sky talked about incessantly. His father had been the Quantum Ranger and he was going to be the Red Ranger just like him. Conner was grateful to Doctor O for keeping the archives. Sky's father had not told him much at all from the sounds of it about his team.

"That your dad?" he asked.

Sky nodded.

"You're adopted, right?"

"Is there a reason for this interrogation?"

"Look," Conner said, ignoring the barb. "I just came by to explain my orders. I was pretty sure that those Krybots were going to come back and you're the B-Squad's strongest fighter."

"Right," Sky didn't look convinced.

"Fine, don't believe me," Conner replied. "I just want you to know that I'm willing to work with you, but I can't do that unless you're willing to work with me."

Sky didn't say anything, just stared at a spot somewhere above Conner's left shoulder. He stood up to leave. There was no point in prolonging this. He wanted to talk to Sky's dad so badly and get some questions answered, but he knew that that would be out of line.

"You don't have the training."

Conner paused just inside the door and turned to Sky. The Blue Ranger was giving him a neutral expression. "No, I don't," he agreed. "But I do have the experience."

"I guess I don't understand why Crugger made someone who's a complete stranger to us the Red Ranger."

"Was there someone else besides you up for the job?" Conner asked, interested. Perhaps there was more to this dilemma than he was letting on. He had learned, in the short time he had been here, that Syd had two older siblings with powers, but he was hard-pressed to name where either of them was.

"If it wasn't going to be me, it should have been Syd's brother or sister." He paused. "But Crugger won't let either of them become rangers." He looked up. "They're not on the ranger track."

That was a new revelation. The cadets had different levels that they moved up through, but the most notable difference in their training was the officer track and the ranger track. Normal SPD police officers came off the officer track, while those being trained to be Power Rangers went on the ranger track.

"Isn't her brother at the Nebula Academy?"

Sky shrugged. "It wouldn't have been that much trouble to transfer him back here."

So there was the heart of the problem. Sky would be able to handle his assignment, given some time, but he didn't understand why one of their own was not assigned to the Red Ranger position. Sky viewed himself – and the few others at SPD with natural powers, powers they were born with – as a group, something that was elusive, but couldn't be shaken.

"He's not here," Conner said softly. "But I am."

Sky shrugged again, his gaze going to the picture of himself and his father.

"We're going to play some Light-Ball," he added. "Want to join us?"

The Blue Ranger paused, looking startled that he had been invited to do something with the rest of the group. "No, I've—"

Conner gave him an incredulous look, knowing he was searching for an excuse. Sky faltered in coming up with a good reason not to join them.

"Yeah," Sky said with renewed confidence. "Not only will I play – I'll win."

He picked up his Light-Ball glove from his nightstand and followed Conner out of the room towards the lounge. He hoped that this tentative alliance would last and that nothing would come up suddenly to shatter it.

* * *

Chomp. Chomp. Chomp.

Z clenched her teeth, suppressing the urge to lash out at Bridge. He was sitting on the couch in the lounge next to her, chomping on his food with an amazing volume. She liked Bridge – since Jack had decided to remain in jail, he had become one of her closest friends, but it didn't excuse all the noise and annoyance he was causing. She set the book down.

"What are you doing?" she snapped, glancing over her shoulder.

"Watching you read," Bridge replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I don't even want to know why you're watching me read," she growled. "But can you at least do it without chomping on your food?"

"Toast?" Bridge asked, waving the offending piece of food around. "Want some? It's buttery."

Z turned around and stared at him. "Buttery?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "Buttery."

"Where is he?"

She turned and gave Syd a mild look. Her roommate looked livid beyond belief as she stood in the middle of the lounge with her arms crossed over her chest. "Who, Conner?" she asked, feigning innocence. Oh, she knew exactly what Syd was looking for and there was no way she would admit that she had taken it and hidden it in a genius location. Syd just gave her an annoyed stare. "Sky? Crugger? Boom? Gruumm? Am I getting warm?"

"Peanuts!" Syd cried, stamping her foot.

"We're all out of peanuts," Bridge piped up. "But we've got some toast."

"No!" Syd wailed. "Peanuts! You know, the stuffed animal I've had since I was five."

"You've only had that thing for one year?"

"Very funny," Syd retorted in a snooty tone of voice. "Now where is he?"

"I don't have your peanuts – end of conversation," Z snapped.

The doors to the lounge slid open, revealing RIC – the robotic interactive canine – and what he was holding in his mouth. Peanuts was dangling from his mouth by one arm. RIC barked at them in greeting.

"No!" Syd howled. RIC took off down the hall with Syd in tow.

"Good dog," Z said under her breath.

"You planned that?" Bridge asked, looking mildly surprised.

"Sure," she replied with a shrug.

"It's a little harsh, don't you think?"

"No," she snorted. "Come on, Bridge. She talks to that thing incessantly and at all hours of the night. Plus, she always complains about my stuff in _her_ room, so I don't feel bad about giving RIC her stuffed animal to play with."

Bridge didn't look convinced. Z noticed that he had shoved his toast into his mouth at some point in time, because it was nowhere to be seen.

"You can't tell me you've never had the urge to swipe something of Sky's just to annoy him."

The Green Ranger thought for a minute. "He doesn't have anything to swipe," Bridge finally said. "He doesn't have things with sentimental value around."

"Too bad," Z said with a yawn. "We could have held something of his ransom."

"What would the ransom be?"

"I don't know – a pizza?"

Bridge frowned. "You can get pizza whenever you want in the cafeteria."

Z rolled her eyes. "That's not the point – it's the principle of the thing."

"What principle?"

"Never mind," she groaned and went back to the book. Bridge viewed Sky in an odd combination of an older brother and a friend, meaning that he didn't think about hiding his stuff just for fun – he just never thought about practical jokes. Maybe Sky might get the stick out of his ass if some practical jokes were played on him. Then again, it might drive him back into his shell. Who knew?

Z went back to reviewing the chapter of the SPD handbook entitled 'Illegal Aliens from Other Galaxies.'

* * *

"Why are we all sitting around having this meeting, again?" Z asked.

Bridge turned towards her and gave her a pleading look. He just wanted everyone to sit down and listen to what he had to say. He was tired of running interference between people – Conner and Sky, Z and Syd. The meeting had been called in hopes that they could work things out before someone exploded and took someone else with them.

They were sitting around Sky and Bridge's room. Z was sitting on his bed, holding Olive in her lap – that meant he would be getting residual feelings from her if he chose to not wear gloves to bed tonight, but didn't say anything. How could he explain that people touching his stuff – especially the stuff in his bed – put him in psychic overload? Syd was perched at the foot of Sky's bed while the Blue Ranger was sitting near his pillow. Conner was sitting on the floor in front of Sky's bed. Bridge was in the middle of all of it – sitting with his back to the small tables between the beds that acted as nightstands. His was covered with stuff, while Sky's had nothing more than his alarm clock and the picture of him and his dad.

"So we can talk," he answered finally.

"Talk about what?" Z responded.

He opened his mouth to reply with something more scathing than he would ever dream of saying ordinarily, but Conner beat him to it. "I think it's a good idea," the Red Ranger said. "It would clear the air about a lot of issues." Since Conner was older, a father, and, therefore, more experienced, no one argued with him.

"Who first?" Syd muttered under her breath.

"Bridge," Conner said. "Since he called the meeting."

Bridge frowned, a dull red flush creeping up into his cheeks. He had wanted Conner and Sky to talk about their problems, while Z and Syd worked out theirs. He hadn't thought that he would be put in the situation where he had point things out to them. Of course, he shouldn't have to point the problems out to them. Who to start with? The guys or the girls?

He took a deep breath. It would be better to start with Sky, since he knew Sky better than the others and knew that, while he might be annoyed, he wouldn't hold a grudge. "Sky, you still don't trust Conner."

"I trust Conner," Sky said in a tone of voice that was bordering on exasperated.

"No, you don't." He paused. "You project things in your sleep and one of them is that you still don't trust Conner."

"I follow orders."

"There's a big difference between following orders and actual trust," Conner replied blandly, a neutral expression on his face. Sky gave him a murderous glare. He looked up and caught the expression just as Sky tried to mask it. "Take it from someone who knows."

Bridge let out a long breath. Good God, he didn't want to be the one to do this.

"Syd and Z, you guys need to work out the roommate problems."

"Excuse me?" Syd snapped.

"He's got a point," Z responded, her hands absently stroking the matted and shedding fur of Olive. That dinosaur had been well-loved.

"And what about it?"

"And I'm sick of running interference between all of you," Bridge ended loudly.

That caught people's attention. No one would have expected him to complain – and he rarely did. Things had been so much better since he enrolled here that there was relatively little to complain about – and Sky's dad had adopted him unofficially meaning he hadn't had to brave the home of his adopted parents in two years. Normally, he didn't have complaints. Now, he just wanted them to stop fighting. He didn't remember all this fighting when the B-Squad had consisted of just him, Sky and Syd… then again, they hadn't really had a leader back then…

There was an awkward silence where they just looked at each other.

"I'll try to keep my half of the room neater?" Z offered.

Syd had drawn her legs up to her chest, her arms wrapped around her knees. "I've never had to room with someone other than my sister," she whispered.

"You have a sister?" Z asked, looking surprised.

Bridge inwardly smacked himself. In the few weeks that Syd and Z had been roommates, Syd had never told her about her older siblings? Even Conner knew about Paris and Austin! That didn't make any sense.

Syd nodded. "She kept her side of the room the same way I kept mine."

That explained a lot of the problems. Z nodded in sympathy. "I wish I had a sister," she mumbled to herself.

"No you don't," Syd shot back.

Z just grinned, holding Olive to her chest.

Conner looked at Bridge. "Was there anything else?"

"I may be telepathic, but that doesn't mean I know everything?" he offered.

Conner laughed, but Bridge noticed that a shadow had fallen over his normally friendly and alive hazel eyes. "No one knows everything," he whispered.

For the others, that signaled that the meeting was over. Syd and Z popped up and were heading down the hall to their room. Conner got up slowly, looking bruised and exhausted, like he was recalling memories that were painful. What had happened to him? Something must have – Bridge knew nothing about him outside of his past as a ranger, he had been a soccer star, was divorced and had two daughters.

Bridge got up and collapsed onto his bed. Picking up Olive, he breathed in the faint scent of Z's perfume. Sky had already gone back to what he had been doing before their room had been infiltrated with the others.

It might not have been much, but it was a start – it was a start.

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** Elements of this chapter come from _Walls_ and _Dogged_. I apologize to the people that e-mailed me about the cannon in SPD - I got your e-mails, but I haven't had time to reply to them! I will get to it before I go home for the summer. At any rate, thanks for reading and reviewing. This piece has hit one hundred reviews - I'm blown away and completely flattered! Thank you so much! The normal thanks to my beta reader, Jepoliant and all my readers! 


	8. Hidden Pride II

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

**Chapter Seven: Hidden Pride II**

Z frowned as the computer brought up the files she needed for the briefing later today – she could save them to her key card, which held ID and memory for case files, and bring them up in the command center later. The case seemed fairly cut and dry. Someone had been robbing banks by cutting into the buildings. They had a culprit who they had seen cutting through cars, plus an eyewitness that claimed she had seen him perform the act. As far as she was concerned, it was case closed. However, she knew that Bridge would pitch a fit because of something he had read in the guy's aura.

She glanced at the clock on Syd's nightstand. She had half an hour before the meeting began and she had to present the research – Conner had assigned her to find the case files on the suspect. The suspect came from a planet that she couldn't pronounce, a species she couldn't pronounce and had a name she couldn't pronounce. Well – for her purposes – the suspect was just going to be called T-Top.

"Hey there!"

Exasperated since the briefing was so soon, she looked up, ready to chew out the person that was interrupting her, but stopped short. The door to the room had been open as it normally was during the day. A woman was standing in the doorframe. She had longish silky blonde hair and blue-gray eyes. Wearing a loose black blouse and jeans with a backpack slung over her shoulder, she looked like she had just got off a bus.

"I'm looking for a little brat, about this high." She indicated about shoulder height on her, but that could be a couple different people here. The woman took no notice of her startled expression or confusion. Who was she talking about? In fact, who was _she_? "Blonde hair, huge attitude?" the woman continued.

Z just stared at her.

"No?" She paused and looked around. "Well, Syd still lives here from the looks of things. Let her know that her sister's back in town, will you?"

Then it clicked. "You're Paris?" she asked.

"Guilty," Paris replied. "You must be Z."

She nodded. So this was infamous sister that Syd had briefly mentioned. Z had learned more from the stories the officers told about Paris than anything Syd had said. The officers said she was rebellious, hated taking orders and was generally insubordinate, driving Cruger to drink. There were some great stories about her showdowns with Cruger. In fact, the only reason the officers figured she was still at SPD was because of her powers – they had said she could phase through solid objects.

"I've got to go," Paris said, looking at her watch. "I'm back a day late and got stuck with the graveyard shift tonight and the day shift tomorrow to make up for it."

"You don't get to sleep?" Z said, gaping at her.

Paris shrugged. "Sleep is overrated."

With that, she disappeared down the hall. Z stared at the spot where she had been standing for a few more seconds, questions churning in her head. Where exactly had she been the entire time that Z had been at SPD? While Syd had mentioned her, this exchange led her to believe that Paris and Syd saw a lot of each other when both were on the academy grounds.

Her eyes cut to the clock. Uh-oh – she let out a creative curse, before quickly saving the information she needed to her key card and heading for the command center.

* * *

"He's a—" Z stumbled over the name of the planet and species of the suspect. "And his name is—" Again, she stumbled over the given name of the suspect. "We'll just call him T-Top," she ended with an air of finality.

Conner just gave her a neutral expression. Of course, he probably wouldn't be able to pronounce the names of that particular planet either. He glanced to Bridge. The Green Ranger was sitting apart from them at the main computer console, for all intents and purposes, reading a book and not paying attention to what was happening. He inwardly sighed. Hadn't Bridge been the one to insist on team unity? Now that the A-Squad was officially missing in action, they had to work together, since they were the last defense of Earth.

"So what do we know?" Cruger asked.

"Money's been stolen, the buildings have been sliced into and an eyewitness – I think T-Top is our man," Conner replied.

"What do you think, Bridge?" Z asked as if she were carefully phrasing the question.

Bridge didn't react. "Bridge!" Syd snapped.

The Green Ranger casually looked over his shoulder. "Oh, sorry guys," he said, but it wasn't an apology. "I was just reading this book. See how the cover has cool artwork – I thought it would be a cool story. But it's not. It's lame." To illustrate his point, he threw the book on the ground by the main console.

Conner fought the urge to roll his eyes. "We weren't talking about your book," he said patiently. "We were talking about the bank robber."

"So was I!" Bridge protested.

"You were talking about a book," Conner muttered.

"No I wasn't! Didn't anyone else notice anything strange?" Bridge gave them all a look that indicated they should agree with him. No one did. He frowned. "The witness' dog? The water on the ground at the bank?"

Conner gave him a blank stare. This was all fascinating, but it had absolutely nothing to do with the topic at hand – who actually robbed the bank. It was obvious – to everyone except Bridge – that T-Top was their man.

"Sir," Bridge said, appealing to Cruger. "I'd like to do my own investigation. Run down my own leads in my own way."

"Very well," their commander replied. "Anyone want to go with Cadet Carson?"

"Sky will," Conner said.

"What?" the Blue Ranger sputtered. Sky had been mostly quiet during the proceedings about the bank robber. It was obvious that he didn't have any great inspiration surrounding this case and was just doing his job. "I didn't volunteer," he pointed out unnecessarily.

"I know," Conner agreed. "But you can help Bridge."

"How?"

"Just go help Bridge and don't ask questions," he growled.

Sky gave him an insolent look that could be best summed up with the phrase _you're the boss, boss_ and followed Bridge out of the command center. Conner watched them go, Bridge babbling something to Sky as the doors slid shut behind them. Z and Syd were giving him a strange look. He didn't bother trying to justify his reasoning on this. If Bridge was doing an investigation by himself, it wouldn't go far because his mind would wander. With Sky helping him, he would focus and things would be smoother.

"Cadets," Cruger addressed the rest of them. "I'm leaving the bank investigation to Cadet Carson and Cadet Tate." He paused. "The rest of you will start a new investigation. It seems that an office building downtown has disappeared."

"Disappeared?" Z asked.

Cruger nodded. "It has reappeared here." He brought up an image on the main screen, showing an office building now placed on the beach. "Go see what you can find out."

They saluted and left the command center.

* * *

It was dark outside. Conner let out a long breath, making his way down the halls that held the cadet rooms. Lights out was in a few minutes. The investigation at the beach had been odd at best. The building was empty except for a lot of dolls. He had brought some of the dolls back – some he gave to Kat for analysis, but he wanted Bridge to take a look at the others. Z had a theory that the dolls and the building tied back to a little boy they had run into later in the day while looking into alien activity. But it was just a theory.

Right now, he wanted to make sure that Bridge and Sky were doing all right with the continued bank robber research. The door to their room was open, so he assumed that they were still up and working. For all other cadets, there was a lights out time when the lights literally went out. For rangers and officers, such a thing didn't exist.

He moved to the door of their room and then a smile cracked his face.

Books about botany and alien species that were plants rather than animals littered the floor and a couple volumes were in Bridge's bed. The lamp on Sky's nightstand was still on, but all the other lights were off. Both cadets were in their pajamas and dead asleep. Sky was lying on his stomach, his hand curled around a notepad he had been taking notes on, a pen lying nearby. Bridge was on his back with an open book on his chest, his reading glasses still on.

Conner just shook his head, entering the room. He tugged the notepad out of Sky's hand and picked up the pen, setting both items on his nightstand. Pulling the blanket from where it was bunched at the end of the bed, he covered Sky. The Blue Ranger didn't stir.

Moving to Bridge's side of the room, he gently took off the reading glasses, setting them on the nightstand. He removed the books from the bed and took the one off of Bridge's chest, putting them on the floor with the others. Bridge rolled onto his side, grasping a worn dinosaur stuffed animal in the same motion. Conner just pulled his blanket over him and turned out the lamp, plunging the room into darkness.

He moved to the door, turning off the 'open' control and turning it back to the normal, motion sensor control. He paused in the door, glancing at the Blue and Green Rangers. No one would guess how close they actually were from their normal daily interaction.

"Goodnight, Conner," Bridge mumbled sleepily.

Conner smiled and left the room.

* * *

"Bridge, you do realize we're loitering in front of this woman's house."

Bridge leaned over to look at the colorful flowers in the flower box on the fence, waving a hand at him. "Just act like you're pausing to look at the flowers," he commanded.

Sky rolled his eyes, but fixed his gaze on the flowers. Thanks to the mass number of botany books that Bridge had checked out of the academy library, he knew that most of the plants were not native to Earth. Bridge didn't think that the eyewitness was credible and wanted to question her more – or find out if she was really a plant alien species. He had an elaborate plan involving a balloon animal – and Sky had gotten dragged into this ridiculous interrogation because McKnight had assigned him to work with Bridge. He would much rather have been assigned to the investigation about the dolls and the disappearing buildings topped off by a little boy who was controlling robots.

"There she is!" Bridge hissed.

Sky cast a sidelong glance down the street. The eyewitness – Diane, her name had been – was coming down the street with her dog in tow. Did she always wear high heels while walking her dog? Syd had demonstrated that that was practically impossible to do, by walking RIC for them as per request. And why had she been walking her dog downtown when she lived in a really nice neighborhood? They never had a dog, but he and his father did have a cat for a while and the cat liked to go on walks – and there had never been a reason to leave the neighborhood.

Bridge bent over, making a show of studying the flowers. Sky fought the urge to roll his eyes as the witness came up to them.

"Can I help you?" she asked coldly, her tone barely civil.

"No," Bridge said. "I was just looking at your flowers."

Diane set her dog down. "I remember you. You're that odd SPD officer." She turned to Sky, did a slight double-take and sashayed over to him. "Am I under suspicion?" she asked in a tone that had turned unsettlingly coquettish.

"Not unless you're an alien and can slice through cars," Bridge replied, then laughed at his own apparent joke.

Sky did roll his eyes this time. "Look, ma'am," he said politely. "We have to follow all leads for a case and, unfortunately, we need to question you."

She smiled. "All right."

"These are really beautiful flowers," Bridge piped up. "Are they native to Earth?"

"No, those are from Fernovia," she replied.

This interrogation was rapidly deteriorating. Sky gave Diane an apologetic look, but felt the sudden, inexplicable need to get out of the situation quickly. He hated it when women purposely came onto him like she was. It was disconcerting. Why couldn't all women treat him like Z and Syd did – treating him like an overgrown teddy bear or wayward cousin that just had to be put up with?

"Hey, did you know I can make balloon animals?" Bridge asked.

Diane frowned at him. "That's nice."

"Yeah, see?" He pulled a balloon out of his pocket and put on another performance about trying to blow it up and failing. It was amazing that – while Bridge was an advisor for some of the lower level cadets and editor of the academy newspaper – no one had thought to put him in the drama department. "I'm sorry," he said, looking truly confused. "Could you?" He held the balloon out to Diane.

She sighed exasperatedly and took it. In a few seconds, she had the balloon blown up and tied off at one end.

"Thanks!" Bridge said brightly, twisting it into a messed up dog. He held it out to her.

"Don't give up your day job," she said dryly. She gave Sky a smile. "If you'll excuse me, I need to finish walking my dog."

She turned and walked off down the street.

Bridge punched the air with his fist. "We got it!" he cried. He waved the balloon at Sky. "With this, we can tell if she's a plant."

"That's great Bridge," Sky replied sarcastically. "So we'll have to see if we can convict her for the bank robberies or if she presses harassment charges against us first."

"No," the Green Ranger scoffed. "She might press harassment charges against me, but she won't press harassment charges against _you_."

"Yeah right." He paused. "Let's get back to SPD and analyze the balloon."

* * *

Conner walked down the corridor towards the childcare center. So Bridge had been right about the bank robber – it had been the witness and not T-Top. Well, they were still working on the case with the dolls, but nothing had come up so far. It was easier working on it too with a full force and not just three of them with Z going off every chance she could about how she thought that this little boy – Sam – was involved somehow. It was pretty clear that the little boy had powers, but no one knew what to make of that including Cruger and Kat.

He just wanted to get away from the hectic schedule. Now that he had a steady job and decent place to live, it had left less time with his daughters than he would have liked. And Kira… she was a factor he hadn't planned on when coming here. From what he could gather, she helped at the childcare center and taught first grade here. She also lived in one of the apartments that were normally reserved for officers.

There was so much he had forgotten about Kira – starting with how beautiful he had always thought she was. Oh, there had been extenuating circumstances back in high school – mainly Trent and Krista. But neither of them was here now and it had been over fifteen years…

The childcare center was on the first level and opened up into the grounds, leading to a playground. The playground wasn't directly adjacent to the building, but more removed so that it gave the kids lots of room to run around.

Kira was there and turned towards him with a smile. "Hey Conner," she said.

"Daddy!" Christina cried, bouncing up to him. "You're early!"

"Yeah," he said with a grin. "I left early tonight."

"Yah!" Christina bounced around the room, gathering up her things.

"How's the case going?" Kira asked as the girls finished getting ready to go home for the night.

He shrugged. "We've gotten nothing so far. There was no point in hanging around." He paused. "Besides, if someone finds something, they can contact me soon enough."

"True," she agreed.

"So, still looking for that peace and quiet?"

To his surprise, Kira laughed. He had forgotten how much her laughs seemed to light up the entire room she was in. She laughed with her whole being. God – he had missed being around strong women who appreciated him and not manipulative bitches like his ex-wife. "Peace and quiet is one of things that doesn't happen around here," she replied.

"Tell me about it," he muttered.

"And you've got more on your plate than me," she said with a smile. "Being the mentor for four cadets? Before now, I couldn't have pictured you doing that."

"Neither could I."

Kira gave him an appraising look as Christina bounded up to him with her backpack. She had grown up, more than he could have imagined. He and Kira had managed to do it all – hit peak experiences that most people never have. And here they were – running from something elusive and going back to their days as rangers. Kira was taking Doctor O's path of finding some peace and quiet as a teacher. He was back to being a ranger.

Madeline walked up to them with her bag.

Christina was tugging on his hand. "Let's go!" she said.

Kira smiled at him. Well – it wouldn't hurt to ask. "Do you want to go out for dinner or something, sometime?" he asked in an undertone before Christina managed to drag him away.

"I'd like that," she replied softly.

"Come on!" Christina whined.

* * *

_He was in the woods somewhere – he couldn't be sure where it was. For some reason, he felt younger than he was. There was a rough path that he had to keep following. Something was urging him to go faster, but he didn't know what._

_ Something flew out of the woods at him – a large, dark shape. He didn't know what it was, but he began screaming hoarsely. That was what he was supposed to be getting away from, but it hadn't worked. It had caught him…_

"Bridge!" Someone was shaking him. "Bridge!"

He sat bolt right up in bed, his forehead connecting with something hard. One hand went to the pain in his forehead and the other grasped the arm that ended with hands on his shoulders. His breath was coming in ragged gasps.

_Sky?_

_I'm right here. _There was a pause. He could feel the dry amusement coming from his roommate. _You have a hard head._

_I'm not the only one._ He rubbed his own forehead to make a point. His eyes focused on the situation. Sky was sitting on the edge of his bed, his hands still on his shoulders. That meant one thing – he had the nightmare again. It was such an elusive dream and the moment he woke up most of it fled. Sky claimed that he started thrashing in his sleep and making noise like he was trying to escape something.

Bridge withdrew his mind from Sky's. The Blue Ranger was used to him jumping into his head at odd moments – like after the nightmares. It was no wonder that the pair of them didn't have secrets from each other. Sky couldn't hide from Bridge. The sounds and sights of the room, dim in the early morning light, came back to him as he left the familiar presence of Sky's mind.

"You had the dream again."

It wasn't a question. He nodded. "I wish I knew what it meant."

"I guess the dream dictionary won't help."

"No." Bridge glanced at Sky. He looked worried and genuinely concerned – something that he didn't let show outside their room. God – Sky needed to learn to lighten up and accept the others. But now wasn't the time for that conversation.

"Are you going to be okay?"

He gave Sky his best game-but-unsure smile. "I'm always okay."

Sky got up and went back to his own bed, trying to get an hour more of sleep before the wake-up call. Bridge exhaled and laid back down, wondering what that dream meant.

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** Ever have the feeling, as you walk out of a final, that you've just done terrible on it? Story of my life this morning... At any rate, elements of this chapter come from _A-Bridged_ and _Sam Part 1_. The normal thanks to Jepoliant, for beta reading this, and to all my readers and reviewers! You guys are the best! Keep up the great comments and feedback:) If you have questions, e-mail me - and I promise I'll get to the people that needed a run-down of the cannon! I promise! Good luck to all of you with your end-of-the-school-year stuff! 


	9. Hidden Pride III

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

**Chapter Eight: Hidden Pride III**

The case with the dolls had solved itself. It turned out that Z's theory had been correct – the little boy had been tied to the dolls. Sam, as it turned out, had been on the streets most of his life and was an outcast due to his power. As per Cruger, he was the last one on Earth that had powers that needed to be brought to SPD. Conner knew that the other three Dino Rangers were still out there – Doctor O, Ethan and Trent, but he wasn't about to reveal that he might know where they are. If there was one thing about Cruger he had learned, it was that he would be fair on all issues except people with powers. If someone with powers came up, he brought them to SPD in some form or another.

It didn't matter – he had _chosen_ to come here and bring his family.

_But had there been another choice?_

Conner shook his head. The command center was quiet for the first time since he had been here. Cruger had gone to a conference for two days, leaving him in charge. The others were lounging around, doing something to pass the time. Sky was reading a book at the main computer console. Syd was filing her nails. Bridge was sleeping on the surveillance console and Conner didn't feel like waking him up. It wasn't like anything had happened.

Z came into the command center.

"Wow, this place is jumping," she commented.

Bridge snapped awake as his arm slid off the console, jolting him into awareness.

"Yeah, right," Sky muttered.

Conner yawned. It was getting close to midnight. Their official watch ended at midnight – and the actual graveyard shift people came in. Of course, Cruger left explicit orders. They were to take the day shift and the evening shift, going out together if something came up. When they left, they were to contact Kat and Boom and they would continue the surveillance while they took care of whatever problems were coming up.

"This is boring," Syd whined.

"Its orders," Conner muttered in reply.

Something beeped over by the console Bridge was supposed to be watching. He stood up and tapped a few controls. "Uh – Conner?"

"What?" he asked lethargically.

"There's a UFO in our airspace."

Trust Bridge to relate something like that in a completely calm voice, looking at the screen like what he was seeing was the coolest thing in the world.

"Let's go," he ordered. The others knew what that meant. They needed to morph and then take the Delta Runners to intercept the UFO. If they couldn't stop the UFO or if it was out of control, then it was essential to make sure it landed in a place with no people. All right, so the idea of getting a little time off with Cruger gone had been obliterated.

A few minutes later, he was watching a spectacular explosion from the seat of his zord in the Megazord. The ship had been out of control and crashed in an old abandoned warehouse section of town – it was also an SPD ship, leaving Conner to wonder where it came from.

"Look! There's a survivor!" Syd said over the communication system.

"Let's check it out."

With that command, they left the Delta Runners via a long jump from the emergency exits to the ground. As with his former powers, their ranger powers allowed them to take long jumps without feeling the impact like they might ordinarily in civilian form. Of course, when he had been a ranger the first time, he had learned he could use his power to make controlled jumps and landings using the air currents. There were some advantages to super-speed…

A single person was making his way out of the wreckage of his ship.

"Sorry about all this," he was saying. "I lost control of my ship when I entered Earth's atmosphere."

"At least you're okay," Syd offered. All of them were still in morphed form, so it was impossible to make out facial expressions.

The guy pulled off his helmet. "Yeah," he breathed.

Sky stepped forward. Conner frowned under his helmet as the Blue Ranger approached the unknown man. "Dru?" he asked. "Power down," he commanded, revealing Sky in civilian form. The man looked up at Sky and smiled.

The pair embraced like old friends.

What in the world was going on?

* * *

Sky picked at his breakfast, mashing things together with his fork, not really interested in eating any of it. Dru had been his best friend since they joined SPD together. They had been roommates for three years until Dru had been sent to the Nebula Academy. Dru was part of SPD and there was no reason for Conner to distrust him.

But he did.

The Red Ranger had made it clear that he did not want Dru in the command center and that he wasn't sure he wanted him at the academy at all. It didn't matter that Dru was a better shot than all of them put together – that he and Sky had been friends for years. He didn't befriend people who would harm SPD, what he had worked so hard for. Conner didn't understand friendship and he needed to stay out of his business. What had Conner been before coming to SPD – a soccer star. He knew nothing about real life.

"Okay, guys," Bridge was saying. All of the B-Squad rangers minus Conner were sitting around one of the tables in the lounge, eating breakfast. "So, I'm fighting this monster, right? And then the monster tears off its skin and, underneath, it's me." Bridge paused for dramatic effect. Sky had already heard about this particular dream – at least it hadn't been the nightmare that Bridge was chronically having.

"Simple," Syd replied. "Your biggest enemy is yourself."

"Or maybe you're just weird," Z added.

Sky was inclined to agree with Z on that one. Bridge had some of the weirdest dreams due to the fact that he was so sensitive to thoughts and emotions around him. At night, he couldn't block out the extra ones like he could during the day.

Conner entered the lounge and approached their table.

"Hey, Sky," he said softly. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

He fought the urge to roll his eyes and set his fork down on his plate. There wasn't much left of his breakfast that he would consider eating anyhow. He followed Conner out of the lounge and into the much quieter hallway. He had a good idea what this was about – and he had already made his stance clear.

"I owe you an apology," Conner said softly. "I know that Dru is SPD and that you trust him. That should be enough for me."

Sky shook his head incredulously. "Just stay out of my business," he snapped. "You don't understand friendship and you don't understand SPD." He turned back towards the lounge.

"You're wrong."

The Blue Ranger whirled around and faced Conner.

"Maybe I don't understand SPD like you do, but I do understand friendship." He paused, his eyes pleading with Sky to understand. "I have had really close friends – and it was always enough for me to trust them. Bridge said—"

"What does Bridge have to do with this?" Sky exploded.

"He read his aura," Conner said softly. Sky felt his heart start to pound within his chest. No, not Bridge too. Was everyone going to gang up on him against Dru staying here? "He doesn't trust him." Conner paused. "Why do you think he's been avoiding you?"

"Bridge hasn't—" He stopped abruptly. Bridge had been avoiding him lately.

"I don't want to see you get hurt."

Sky glared at him. "I won't get hurt. Dru has been my friend for a long time. You don't know anything about it."

He turned on his heel and went back into the lounge. He didn't want to listen to Conner's excuses and reasoning. Dru was his friend. What more was needed than that?

* * *

It was late. Z let out a long breath as she walked down the hall. Cruger had gotten back from his trip and informed them of a security breach. It turned out that Conner and Bridge had been right about Sky's friend. Dru had attempted to assassinate Cruger, but hadn't succeeded. Sky had gone after him and got shot in the wrist for his trouble. He and Dru had matching bracelets called Tangarian coils. All the friendship and family jewelry came from Tangaria, so it didn't surprise Z until Dru claimed he was Tangarian. Sky's bracelet was broken now.

She took in where she was – this was the library. Bridge spent a lot of time in here, looking up information for their cases. Sky haunted the leisure reading collection. The others wouldn't be seen dead in this room. She glanced in the small cramped room adjacent to the library that held the archives – files, newspaper articles, media files and the like. This was used to look up information on suspects. One person was in there at a work station. She had longish blonde hair that was in a loose braid. The braid trailed over the back of her chair.

"Paris?" she asked.

The person at the work station turned around slightly. It was Paris. What was Syd's older sister doing in the archives room at this house of the night? She had a notebook open and was scrolling through birth certificate records. She also wasn't in uniform, which meant she wasn't in here because of academy-related business.

"Z, right?" she responded.

"Yeah." Z moved into the room. "Is this your hobby?"

Paris laughed. "I wish it was just a hobby." She let out a long breath. "No – I'm tracking down leads that might direct me to mine and Syd's real parents."

"Any luck?" Z pulled up a chair at the work station.

"Would I still be here if I had some luck?"

Z wondered if she meant here as in SPD or in the archive room. Paris shut down the window that held the birth certificates. "I can't get the court to release our real birth certificates since I don't have a good enough reason. If I could just get the town we were born in, I might have some success."

"The road trip didn't help?"

Paris gave her an appraising look. "Syd told you about that?"

"Yeah." Syd had told her that Paris had saved all her leave days from the previous year so she could take a trip to one of the bay area towns to do some research. Both of them remembered having picnics near a bay as children. Apparently, Blue Bay Harbor had been the wrong place to start from.

"Well, it didn't help. I did meet some interesting people, but no one who could remotely help me." She shook her head. "I don't know what I expected."

There was pain evident in those blue eyes. Z glanced at the other window open on the screen. It read that she was conducting a search for parents that gave their children up for adoption in 2006. The result number was staggering. "I guess there's no way you can go through all those in a timely fashion."

"If I had nothing else to do, then yeah. But, unfortunately, I've got a long shift tomorrow and I've been caught sneaking off before."

Z grinned. "Why don't you just take off anyways? Some of the other officers said that you do it half the time anyways."

Paris returned the grin. "I could. It's not like Cruger can fire me."

"Why?"

She held up her right hand, revealing a silver ring around her ring finger with a smooth, polished black stone in the middle. She ran her hand through the table – not underneath or around, but _through_ the table. So the officers had been right when they said that she could phase through solid objects.

"He thinks I can defeat an army of invading Troovians," she muttered.

_He thinks we can all defeat an invading army of Troovians on our own_, Z thought, but decided it was a good time to change the subject. "So what's with the ring? Why didn't it come off when you phased through the table?"

"I learned early on how to phase with clothing and jewelry," Paris replied with a wry smile. "It'd be embarrassing if I ended up naked every time I phased." She shrugged. "Plus the ring is Tangarian. I'm the only one that can take it off, so it phases with me."

"Where did you get it?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. I've always had it. Or, at least, I think I've always had it – since before the adoption." She gave Z a sidelong look. "Is this interrogation over yet?"

Z smiled sheepishly. "I guess I'm curious. You're the only person here with powers that isn't a ranger."

"Actually, one of the teachers has powers."

"Well, then." Z fell silent for a moment. There was something about Paris – she was driven to find her parents for no apparent reason that the others could see. Syd understood it, but hadn't articulated it to the others. "Can I ask one more question?"

"Sure."

"Why are you trying to find your real parents?"

Paris was quiet for a moment. "It's elusive. I remember going through backyards, trying to reach someone's house, but never getting there. I don't know if it's a dream or if it's something real that I've been trying to remember for years and can't." She shook her head. "You of all people should understand that."

Z nodded. She did. She had gone to live in that group home when she was three years old, but still had vague memories. It wasn't even a memory as much as it was a feeling, a dreamlike state, but she knew that her parents had loved her. Perhaps it was the same thing for Paris, trying to reach just past a veil to remember something, but it always remained just beyond the mind's grasp.

Her morpher beeped. Z pulled it from the holster. "Delgado here."

"Z!" It was Conner. "Meet me in the command center. Dru's resurfaced."

"I'm on my way." She turned to Paris. There was something unknown in those blue-gray eyes, like she was almost nostalgic about something. "Thanks," she said softly. "I'll see you around?"

Paris forced a smile. "Of course."

She left the archives room to see what Conner needed.

* * *

"You have to clean the entire entry area?"

Sky inwardly snorted at the question. So the others had been right – Dru had tried to assassinate Cruger for the money that Broodwing offered him. He wasn't the same person that Sky had known all those years ago. But he was in prison now – it was hard. He felt hallow, like someone had carved out all his emotions and he couldn't feel anything anymore. Although, the others had opened up after he captured Dru. Bridge was back to being overly chipper and irritating, jumping into his mind at odd moments to ask trivial questions.

"And all the other cement areas," he replied, scrubbing at the cement with an old toothbrush – he would have liked to have taken revenge on the others and used their toothbrushes, but the officer apartments locked, Bridge would notice immediately and he didn't feel like getting the girls angry with him. "Cruger thinks I'll remember that academy regulations are for everyone." He paused. "Not just pig-headed, ego-driven rangers such as myself."

"He said that?" Conner looked mildly surprised.

"He wasn't so nice." And perhaps Cruger was starting to show his true colors. Their commander wasn't as calm and cool as he would like to appear.

Conner sat down on the edge of the fountain next to him. "Here," he said, holding out Dru's bracelet. It was the one of the pair still intact, since Dru had broken his and now he had a burn mark on his wrist that hurt like hell. "I thought you might want this."

Sky stopped scrubbing and let out a long breath, taking the bracelet. "I guess a bracelet doesn't mean a friendship," he said softly.

"It doesn't," Conner agreed. "But, at least, you had someone you could feel comfortable calling your best friend."

That froze his mind for a moment. Dru had been his best friend and, even when he went to the Nebula Academy and went MIA, he still counted him among his close friends, but there was no rule that said a person could have only one best friend. He thought back to the past two years with their ups and downs and the one person who had been there with him through all of it…

"I still do have a best friend," he whispered.

"Yeah – it's me!"

Bridge bounded up from out of nowhere and plunked himself down on the other side of Sky, proceeding to give his roommate a rib-cracking hug. Sky made an incoherent noise in the back of his throat, trying to catch his breath. "Bridge," he gasped. "I can't breath!" Not to mention, he wasn't crazy about this blatant display of affection. He did view Bridge as his younger brother, in all senses except blood, but he didn't want Bridge to become an annoying younger brother that he couldn't stand.

"I should have guessed," Conner muttered.

"Bridge?" Sky said. "Could you let go of me?"

Bridge released him. "What for? Everyone here knows you're straight."

"People might not realize _you're_ straight."

He shrugged. "Whatever. I've had weirder rumors spread about me."

That was true. While Bridge could read minds, people had spread a rumor a while ago that he purposely read minds. What they didn't realize was that most of the time, he couldn't help but hear thoughts and pick up emotions from objects. There was a time last year when Bridge had almost gone into sensory overload and had to take sleeping pills in order to actually sleep instead of staying up, letting the projected emotions pummel him.

"So," Bridge said, addressing Conner. "How long do you figure it will take us to get this done?" He looked around at all the cement.

Conner glanced at his watch. "I've got us booked for the simulator in an hour, so we'd better be done in an hour."

"How many replicates?"

Sky turned. Z was standing on the other side of the entry, waving at them. She had a large box of scrub brushes and cleaning supplies next to her. Syd was dragging a smaller bucket over to them.

"Us?" Sky sputtered.

"You'll be here doing this for a week," Conner told him. "Besides, you need to be there for the simulator and this is the only way to make sure you are."

Sky blinked. He had a feeling that, deep down, Conner felt sorry for him as did all the others and they were just being nice, but… it was kind of heart-warming that they were here to help him, grudgingly or no.

"We need to get this done in an hour!" Conner called back to Z. "How many do you think so it will only take that long?"

Z thought for a minute. Her eyes flashed a strange shade of gold, before replicates starting appearing around her. Sky had learned early on that Z's replicates followed the general example of what she was doing or what she directed them to. However, they didn't talk and that was the way to tell the difference between a replicate and the real Z. There were about thirty replicates standing around her.

"This enough?" she called.

Conner gave her an appraising look. "Should be!"

Syd came up to them and thrust the bucket at Bridge. "Come on," she said in a bossy tone of voice. "We need to get started."

"I did get started," Sky protested weakly.

"No," Syd corrected. "You were sitting out here daydreaming for thirty minutes and only got a square inch clean!"

Sky laughed. Perhaps something just had to give…

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** Elements of this are from _Sam Part 2_ and _Idol_. Normal thanks goes out to my wonderful beta reader - Jepoliant - and to all my readers and reviewers. It never fails - I will forever be blown away by the enthusiastic response to this! I do have a little bit of time before my summer job starts up, so I hope to do shout-outs with the next update. As per usual, keep up the great feedback:) 


	10. Hidden Pride IV

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

**Chapter Nine: Hidden Pride IV**

"Sky got a care package!"

Z looked up mildly from where she had been trying to read a book. The lounge was deserted except for her and Sky. The Blue Ranger was playing a rather complex version of solitaire and didn't look surprised that Bridge had his mail. Bridge came into the lounge, carrying the medium sized box, looking like he got mail rather than Sky.

"Don't you live, like, three minutes from here?" Z asked Sky.

He shrugged. "My dad still sends stuff every so often."

"Especially when he doesn't get to come home." Bridge flopped down onto the couch next to Z, still holding the box. "Can I open it?" he asked, giving Sky a pleading, puppy dog look that either made people cave to him or annoyed them.

"Sure," Sky shrugged, still engaged with the card game. "It's probably food."

Bridge got a grin on his face like a little kid at Christmas. He tried to tug at the tape sealing the box with his gloved hands, but had no success. Z rolled her eyes and took the box from him, using her key card to slice through the packing. She then ripped the flaps of the box open, since the remaining tape would break under the strain. There were two books on the top of the box – Bridge took those out and tossed them to Sky. The rest of the box was, indeed, food. There was a bag of cookies that looked like they were homemade, along with some crackers, some kind of salsa and white-chocolate fudge. Bridge took the salsa and crackers out as well and handed them to Sky.

"Do you eat that salsa on those crackers?" Z asked.

Sky shrugged. "Sure. It's good."

He obviously had odd eating habits that he didn't share. Bridge had pulled the cookies out of the box, leaving the fudge. He opened the bag of cookies. "Want some?" he asked her.

Bridge set the box on the floor next to the couch. Z noticed that there was more stuff at the bottom of the box, but it was meant for Sky rather than the group. The Blue Ranger tugged the box over to himself and sorted through the contents.

"Sure," Z said absently to Bridge, taking one of the large chocolate-chip cookies.

Sky pulled a DVD out of the box. He looked at it and frowned. He held it up to Bridge. "You know something about this?"

Bridge grabbed the DVD. "He sent it!"

Z glanced over at the movie. It was one of the _Star Wars_ movies – when she and Jack had lived on the streets, they used to frequent a half-way house that played nothing but those movies and she had come to love them. "That's a good one," she commented.

Bridge gave her an appraising look, his blue eyes warm. "Want to watch it with me some time?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied, smiling.

"It's a date."

Z paused for a minute, wondering if Bridge was being facetious or if he meant it. The serious look in his eyes showed that he was serious. Her smile grew wider and goofier. It would be the first date she had that didn't end in something physical. It was Bridge – and if his idea of a date was watching movies, then that was fine with her.

Syd waltzed into the lounge, wearing something that was certainly not her uniform or anything Z could think someone would be wearing around here. Bridge froze with the cookie in his mouth. "Did I miss the memo about the new uniforms?" he asked through a mouthful of cookie, almost spraying Z with his chewed cookie.

"No," Syd said, looking disgusted at Bridge's lack of table manners. "It's my birthday."

"Nobody told me," Sky muttered from where he was back to studying the cards.

"Well," Syd said, fluffing her hair. "Tomorrow is officially my birthday, but my parents just insist on throwing me this huge party – at the best restaurant, limos, a huge party." She shrugged. "You know – blah, blah, blah. It's no big deal."

"I guess our invitations got lost in the mail," Sky continued muttering.

"Your care package didn't!" Bridge added enthusiastically.

"Don't be silly," Syd said, obviously disconcerted by Sky's muttering. "I would have invited you, but I know you guys have to work."

It made Z wonder if Paris knew that Syd was being treated to all these things on her birthday by their adopted parents – parents that Paris hated. The sisters were close, there was no denying it, but it wasn't comforting to know that there were major secrets.

The alarm started blaring. Syd rolled her eyes, looking disgruntled. Bridge shoved the rest of his cookie into his mouth. Z looked at her cookie for a minute, then decided to eat it on the way to the command center. The four of them headed down the hall in silence and entered the command center together. Conner was waiting for them there. Z hurriedly shoved the rest of the cookie into her mouth, ignoring Conner's curious stare at her chipmunk cheeks.

Cruger and Kat started explaining about a satellite prison on KO 35 that had been destroyed and then a suspect that had escaped. He might be coming to Earth because he had worked with someone on Earth. It was the usual. Cruger was telling them about how they were going to need someone to do surveillance on the doctor the suspect might be trying to find.

"Cadet Tate," Cruger addressed Sky. "You and one other will go on the stakeout."

Bridge nudged Sky. He slapped his hand away. "No problem, sir," he said. "Syd and I will do it."

"What?" Syd sputtered.

"You do have the most surveillance training," Conner agreed, backing Sky.

"But I'll miss my birthday dinner," she whined.

"You said it wasn't a big deal," Sky replied in a neutral tone of voice.

"I lied!" she wailed.

Z fought the urge to snicker. Cruger dismissed them. Syd went storming out of the command center to go change clothes. Z and Bridge caught up to Sky. "That was kind of harsh," Bridge told him.

Sky shrugged. "She needs to be taken down a notch."

"I hear that," Z commiserated. "You guys should be glad you don't room with her."

The Blue Ranger shrugged again. "I'll see you guys later. I have to go get ready." Meaning he had to go get civilian clothes, since stakeouts did tend to be in civilian clothing to reduce attention to them.

He was down the hall before Z realized something. "You own something other than your uniform?" she called after him.

He responded with a pithy phrase that was blunt, but to the point.

* * *

"This is so unfair," Syd whined as she dragged one of the equipment cases into the warehouse where the surveillance would be taking place. She wiped her hands and looked around at the dirty room they were going to have to spend today and probably her birthday in. Sky looked completely nonchalant, adjusting the binoculars to the apartment across the street where the doctor they were watching lived.

"Get over yourself," he muttered.

"Excuse me!" she snapped, whirling to face him. It was then that she took in exactly what he was wearing. Oh, she had known that he was wearing civilian clothing, but, since she had been fuming the entire trip over here, she hadn't taken it in. He was wearing loose khaki cargo pants with a blue plaid shirt that had short-sleeves and was button-up. A necklace made of a black leather cord was around his neck and he had on a digital watch. Sky didn't wear clothes like that – he looked like a model for Old Navy.

"You'll have a birthday next year."

"That's not the point!" she cried, stamping her foot. "Everything was planned for this year and you knew that, but you had to ruin it anyways!"

He lowered the binoculars. His blue eyes had hardened into chips of ice. "And how would your sister feel if she knew about this elaborate party?"

Syd opened her mouth, no reply coming. He might as well have hit her – that was how much those words hurt. Paris didn't know about the party – hadn't known about the party the previous year. She had wanted the wealth and prestige, but, with Paris an officer and not around as often, it was easy to convince herself that her parents did care about her and wanted to give her something special, not buying her off. Paris… she wouldn't understand.

"You don't know anything about it," she hissed.

"Don't I? My father has never had to buy me off."

"I hate you," she spat, knowing that she sounded childish, but not knowing what else to say to him. He was right – damn him. He was Sky and he was so gorgeous, more so than a man had a right to be and he… he could read her too well. Paris would say she had been bought off and, although she wouldn't abandon her, it would drive a wedge between them. She turned away from him, tears stinging her eyes. Today was ruined – in more ways than one.

She felt him come up behind her, his hands lightly on her shoulders. "Sydney," he whispered. "You have to find who you are – and I know that you aren't the spoiled rich brat that you pretend to be."

"My entire life I've been what people wanted me to be," she whispered.

"Then stop."

Syd turned around to face him. He dropped his hands to his sides. "That's easy for you to say." She paused. "No one told you be authoritarian."

Sky looked thoughtful. "Believe it or not, I did that to myself."

She shook her head. "I don't know what to think."

He pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "We've got a lot of time here while we're just watching this woman."

She watched as he walked back to the window, picking up the binoculars once more. There was a softer side to Sky – Bridge had always known that it existed. At least he wasn't throwing up force fields anymore to get people to leave him alone. She sank down onto the couch, feeling confused. If today hadn't already been ruined, things had just gotten more and more complicated. Perhaps it was better if she missed her party…

* * *

"Are we ready for the party?"

Sky looked up as Paris walked into he and Bridge's room. She always seemed to be wearing black when she wasn't wearing her uniform – he hadn't seen her in anything other than her uniform or black. When the stakeout had ended and Sinuku, their suspect, had been brought to justice, he had run into Paris and broached the idea of throwing a belated surprise party for Syd. She had been enthusiastic, but obviously hadn't been aware of the luxurious party that their adopted parents had been prepared to throw for her younger sister.

And today was no exception to the black rule – she had on a black tank top and black skirt that swirled around her calves. Paris was pretty in a sophisticated way. Syd was just all-around pretty, with the wavy hair, big blue eyes and smile – she wasn't intimidating like her older sister was.

"Almost," Bridge answered. He was sitting on his bed, trying to tie the green tie he had chosen to wear to the party. Paris took one look at him, rolled her eyes and went over to him, tying the tie in record time. "Thanks," he said, picking up the brightly wrapped presents that were sitting on his bed.

"You don't look ready," she told Sky.

He frowned and glanced at his uniform. Syd had seen him in civilian clothes and he didn't see the need to wear something else to the party. Besides, what if something happened and they had to go into action. "What's wrong with my uniform?" he asked warily.

"You cannot wear your uniform to Syd's party," she said. "You've got to own something other than your uniform. God, I'm starting to think you sleep in your uniform."

"He doesn't," Bridge said.

"Well, that's good to know," Paris muttered, going over to his dresser and opening the drawers. She pulled out a pair of faded jeans and threw them on his bed. "Does he own a wife beater?" she asked Bridge.

"Top drawer," Sky muttered, beating Bridge to the answer.

Paris pulled out a wife beater, before moving to his closet. "What do you know," she said to herself. She flung out a pair of brown leather sandals he had forgotten he had and a brown leather belt. She pulled a dusty blue dress shirt off of a hanger and tossed that on the pile on the bed. "Get dressed," she told him.

Sky fought the urge to grumble at her as he gathered up the clothes and went into the small bathroom to change. He could hear muffled voices as Bridge and Paris were talking about something related to the surprise party. That didn't surprise him, because Bridge got along with just about everyone. He quickly changed into the clothes that Paris had thrown at him and came out of the bathroom.

"You look human," Syd's sister said with a smile.

He rolled his eyes and grabbed his necklace off his nightstand, pulling it on and adjusting the cord. It was the only such thing he owned – Taylor, his dad's girlfriend, had gotten it for him for Christmas one year in an attempt to lighten him up. The only thing that necklace did was make his choice of clothing more relaxed.

"Let's go," Paris said. "Z said that Syd should be going through the park in a little while and we still need to set things up."

* * *

This party had to be the best birthday of her life. Syd smiled to herself, standing near the table that held the cake and all the other refreshments. It was clear that Paris had let Bridge help with the refreshments, because there had been one paltry veggie tray and heaps of cookies, fudge, candy and all kinds of other sugar-dense items. It was common knowledge – to the B-Squad at least – that Bridge had a sweet tooth. Sky had brought his own chips and salsa and – though seeming like he didn't want to share – proved to be generous with his food.

"He almost wore his uniform."

Syd turned at the sound of Paris' voice. Her sister came up next to her, looking elegant in the simple black outfit. She had always fought against the frills and frippery that their adopted mother had wanted them to wear. Syd looked down at her own frilly top, one she actually really liked. Oh well – she wasn't Paris.

She followed Paris' gaze to Sky. He was sitting at one end of the table with Bridge and Z and she couldn't know if he was annoyed or amused. Again, his choice of clothing had amazed her. It was hard to imagine Sky in anything other than his uniform, but here he was.

"Did he?" she asked with a grin.

"Yeah – but like I was going to let him wear his uniform to a party."

Syd laughed. "It would be just like him."

Paris smiled, but her gaze was on the half-eaten cake in front of her. Someone had already taken the corner pieces – but Syd had gotten one for herself so she didn't mind. "Sky said you had other plans for your birthday."

There was a veiled accusation behind those words. Sky wouldn't have told Paris the entire story, but enough that she would be suspicious. "I did," she agreed. "Mom and Dad wanted to take me out to dinner."

Her sister's blue eyes clouded, but the storm passed as quickly as it came. "Since when have they wanted anything to do with us?"

"They were just being nice," Syd said softly.

Paris shrugged. "I guess it's about time. I haven't talked to them in close to two years, so I wouldn't know if they had a change of heart."

Syd didn't reply, but she knew that Paris didn't believe a word that she had just spoken. For her entire life, she had been fighting against everything – their parents, SPD, Cruger, Kat and any other authority figure that she came in contact with. Now that she thought about it, Syd wasn't sure that Paris knew what she was fighting against, she just flailed out at anything that tried to have power over her. Perhaps it was just in her nature to fight – maybe that was why their adopted parents had wanted all of them to attend the SPD Academy. Then again, Paris had used their own weapon against them, cutting off her contact with them once she became a student at SPD.

She wanted to tell Paris that their adopted parents would care about her, if she just extended a friendly greeting. She wanted Paris to stop fighting. But none of that would happen. She wasn't Paris and she wasn't what her parents wanted her to be. She wasn't what anyone wanted her to be, although she had tried. Sky had said that she needed to be herself and not what everyone else wanted. It had been so long – did she even know herself?

"I think your man's coming this way," Paris said in an undertone.

Syd looked down the table – Sky was making his way towards them. "He's not my boyfriend," she said with a scowl. "He's Sky."

"I wouldn't be too sure."

"Paris!"

Sky came up to them, casually getting himself another cup of punch. Paris had that mischievous look in her eyes that meant she was about to completely and totally embarrass Syd. "So," she said to Sky. "Can you write me a poem in trochaic trimeter?"

"Par—is!" Syd wailed. She had done this to the last boyfriend that Syd had and had scared the guy away because he had thought she was talking about weapons in code and not poetry!

Sky's expression didn't change. "Why?"

Paris opened her mouth to speak, but Syd clamped a hand over it. "No reason," Syd said for her, nudging Paris in the side.

He narrowed his eyes at them. "Can I write it in tetrameter? It will be easier."

"Sure," Paris said, shrugging Syd away from her. "Just make sure you mark your substitutions." She paused. "No more than one substitution per line."

"How many lines?"

"Minimum of fifteen."

"I assume I'm doing this so I can date Syd in the future."

This was beyond embarrassing. Syd let out a frustrated shriek. Only Paris would ask Sky about something ridiculous like meter in poetry. She was just amazed that he knew what in the world she was talking about. Paris had strange facts like that hidden up in her head that she let out when it was to her best advantage.

Then it dawned on her – Sky wanted to date her. Hold the phone… but he was already moving back down the table towards Bridge and Z. She whirled to the side to face Paris.

"I cannot believe you did that!" she hissed.

Paris just smiled. "I want to see what he writes."

"You think this is funny!"

"Hey, if he's willing to write poetry for you, then he's a keeper."

Syd groaned. "It's in troches!" She had picked up enough of the meter stuff – it had been a hobby of Paris' – to know a few words that fell in that category. On her own, she couldn't hear stuff like that and had to use a dictionary. Luckily enough, she only had one English teacher who made her learn it. "It'll be about chickens and robots eating pickles!"

"Just because those are the only troches you know, doesn't mean that he won't come up with some more creative troches."

The Pink Ranger just shook her head, deciding that the meter discussion was going too far for comfort. She glanced down the table. Sky met her gaze and a smile floated over his face. There was so much to Sky that no one saw – the fact that he viewed Bridge as his brother was one of those things. In fact, he cared about all of them in his own strange way.

A slight breeze blew over the park, ruffling the paper plates and empty cups. Syd shivered despite herself. Paris always talked about their real parents and how they cared about them, would accept their powers. It made her wonder – had the adoption really been mutual? What could have caused their parents to give them up or not fight to get them back?

Shaking her head, she went back to the party. It was her birthday after all.

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** Elements of this come from _Stakeout_. Jepoliant also told me to give a quick note on trochaic trimeter - it's a metrical foot in poetry that is two syllables, the first is stressed and the second is unstressed. Trimeter means there are three of these feet per line (and so on ad nauseam.) It's not really vitally important to the overall story, so if you're confused, it doesn't matter and don't worry about it. Oh - thanks to Jepoliant for beta reading and to all my readers and reviewers. You guys rock! For the first time in a while, I shall do reviewer responses:) And everyone gets a smiley:

_Crimson Mystery_ - Thanks:)

_Feline-Feral _- Glad you liked the ending. Thanks:)

_fenestrae_ - I believe that Trent's power was chameleon. He could blend into the background or something along those lines. It was never as clear as the others' powers. Although schizophrenia would have been an odd power... lol. :)

_Fudge-Monkey99_ - Thanks:)

_Funky In Fishnet_ - Thanks! As for everything else, only time will tell. :)

_garnetred_ - Your question will be answered soon, very soon! Glad you like it:)

_Giannola_ - Jack isn't going to come back in this piece. He's in jail with whatever sentence his crimes warranted. Sorry about that. I'm glad you like the piece though. :)

_Jenna Summers_ - Thanks! All of the things you mentioned will come up later, so have no fear:)

_Juzblue_ - Thanks:)

_kris_ - I'm not opposed to writing slash, it's just not a part of this piece. :) And this is where I make my departure from the cannon and go completely AU with things. Glad you're reading and enjoying!

_Rob_ - The explanations are coming in the near future. I promise:) Thanks for the compliments though!

_Slshadowfox_ - Glad you figured out what was going on. I glossed over _Sam_ just because it didn't lend itself to molding and character development quite like the episodes that surrounded it. As for the pairings, you shall see what develops. :)

_the real vampire_ - Actually, I believe that Cruger revealed to the others that Conner was a ranger in chapter 5 (Coming Together). Sky also refers to him as a 'has-been' ranger a few times. However, how many outside the others who knew from DT and others outside the B-Squad, Kat and Cruger is debatable. Glad you like it:)

_Weesta_ - Thanks for your kind words! I'm flattered:) As for the ending, only time will tell. :)


	11. Precious Possessions I

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

**Chapter Ten: Precious Possessions I**

It had been a long time – almost fifteen years to be exact. Carter Grayson sank heavily down into an armchair in his house – the same house he and Dana had lived in since Austin and Paris' birth. They hadn't moved, so that the children could find them. It was a foolish hope. Austin and Paris had been five at the time of their abduction. Sydney had been four. They were too little to remember things as they had been. Insubstantial memories might be with them, but nothing else.

God, he wanted to know why.

In the early years, they had tried everything – going to court, recruiting all the other Lightspeed Rangers (and Galaxy and Wild Force) to take on SPD, hiring detectives, calling the police, invoking every law they could think of. Nothing worked. Cruger kept the locations of their children secret. No one had even the slightest idea where their children were. They had disappeared like wisps of smoke into the night.

Cruger had a lot of money, manpower and law leeway at his disposal, as they had found out during the early trials. He had known about Austin and Paris' phasing power, but he hadn't known that Sydney could turn her hands into whatever she was touching. It was unclear how Cruger knew about their powers, but he used it to his advantage. Since the powers were the indirect result of SPD work, the powers had to remain SPD work. It touched on a gray area that no one was sure of.

He had threatened them – he would kill the children if they went to the press or made any public announcements about it. Grayson was held hostage by his heart. Carter loved his children more than life itself and he wouldn't be able to live with himself, knowing that he had caused their ultimate doom. It was his fault – if he hadn't been involved in those experiments…

Nothing had changed about the house. Family pictures from fifteen years ago graced the mantel. The kids' bedrooms hadn't been altered. It was silly, since they were grown now and wouldn't be interested in the Hot-Wheels racetracks, dolls and other various and sundry toys that they had had. Austin and Paris would be nineteen. Sydney would be eighteen. It had been close to fifteen years.

Where were they now?

He didn't know and couldn't fathom. It was a small comfort that they would have those misty memories. Austin and Paris had their rings. After Sydney had been born and he and Dana decided to stop having children, he had bought three rings for the three children. The rings had Tangarian stones in them – these stones come in threes. For their fifth birthday, he gave Austin and Paris theirs. Austin had one with a white stone, while Paris' had a black stone. The third one – the one with a pink stone – had been for Sydney's fifth birthday, but she was taken before he could give it to her.

The rings couldn't be taken unless the wearer took it off. The metal of the rings was also Tangarian, designed to grow with the wearer. He hoped that those rings remained with Austin and Paris – that no one had taken what they had left of their real life.

Carter smiled as he picked up a picture taken only a few days before their abduction. It had been a picnic that Ryan and Captain Mitchell attended as well. The bay was in the background – they always went there because Sydney loved to watch the boats. Captain Mitchell had taken the picture, while Ryan had ducked out to one side. Austin and Paris were sitting his lap, mirrors of each other. They had the same hair color, eye color and facial features. Austin was a little taller than Paris, but both would have a lean look when they grew. Sydney was curled with up Dana, but smiling brightly for the camera. She looked exactly like her mother, while Austin and Paris, except for their hair, took after him.

_He wanted to know why._

There had to be an explanation for what had happened. Cruger had all the legal reasons, but Carter knew there had to be something else. Cruger was of a race that was now extinct. His people and planet had been wiped out in an intergalactic invasion. He had sought refuge on Earth. There had to be something…

He remembered Cruger and Manx contacting him with the initial ridiculous story about the children becoming a danger to themselves. At the time, he had known about Austin and Paris' power, but hadn't known about Sydney's. He couldn't see how the twins could become a danger to themselves through phasing. Foolishly, he had ignored them.

The next time had been a more vehement plea on Manx's part. She wanted him to agree to send his children to the SPD Academy at age fifteen. Carter failed to see why that needed to happen and, since she couldn't tell him, he had told her that his children would certainly have the option to go to the SPD Academy, but he wouldn't force them to.

It culminated in their abduction and broken hearts.

Several years after their three children had disappeared into the night, he and Dana had considered having another child. But they came to the obvious conclusion – that child would have powers as well and would disappear just like the other three. He didn't want to feel – even remotely – that he was replacing Austin, Paris and Sydney.

_Why?_

It was the question that constantly haunted his sleep.

_What if I had done something differently?_

There was so much he could have done. He should have sent the kids to the Aqua-Base with his father-in-law the moment they received news from Maya that Bridge had been taken and that the Galaxy Rangers had redrawn their sabers, coming to Earth to find him. But no – he had convinced himself that it was an overreaction. This would all turn out to be a mistake.

Then Z Evans was taken – her mother afraid that her husband and child would be hurt if she didn't comply with what Manx wanted. He should have sent them then – there was not a chance that they could breach the security at the Aqua-Base.

And still – he waited.

Then it was too late.

The kids never got enough time to get to Ryan's house. If it had just been Austin and Paris, they would have made it, using their power. But the twins were fiercely protective of their little sister and wouldn't leave her. That had slowed them down. He couldn't blame them. It was something he had taught them from the moment Dana found out she was pregnant with Sydney. The three of them were closer than any siblings he had ever seen. He hoped that they had been placed somewhere together, because separation at that young age would have killed them.

He wanted this guilt to go away. It was his fault that the children had been taken. Everyone around him – Ryan, his father-in-law, Dana, the other Lightspeed Rangers – told him that it wasn't his fault, but he knew it was. There had been a chance to stop this from happening to his children – to all their children. But he let it happen. He had been too naïve and foolish to accept that someone might follow through with the threat.

And now – communication between the parents of the taken children had been cut. People had been threatened, thrown in prison, bribed – anything to keep them from spreading the word and fighting back. He hadn't talked to any of the others in over a decade – Wes and Jen, Cole and Alyssa, Mike and Maya.

Wes and Jen at least had it easier. They had enough warning that they sent Sky away with Eric – something he should have followed. They hadn't heard from Eric in years and neither had any of the others. Cole and Alyssa were the last to hear from him – and that had been nearly fifteen years ago. Taylor had dropped off the face of the Earth with him – neither one contacting anyone. Carter suspected that he had been threatened. At least, last that Cole and Alyssa knew, Sky was with Eric.

Fear… had his world really come to that?

So much was unknown, yet so much had been tried. He was afraid – that was the essence of the past few years. He was afraid of what might happen if he tried to talk to any of the others or bond together with them. He was a coward in the long run. That was all there was to it – he was a coward. He couldn't face losing his own life or his children's. So, he bowed to what was wanted of him – silence.

He could only wait and wonder.

The past could not be undone, but he hoped…

One of the first things he and Dana had taught Austin and Paris before they went to school was their address and phone number. He wasn't sure if they would remember it, but something might remain with them. Children didn't tend to remember things like that if it wasn't information pertinent to their everyday life.

Perhaps it was time to stop living in fear. He had been a Power Ranger! He should not be afraid of death, because he had faced it daily for a year. Perhaps it was time to contact the others and bond together. Perhaps… so much had been built on 'what if'.

_Perhaps it was time to stop living in the past…_

He had been living in the past since that day. Nothing had been the same and nothing ever would be the same. Thoughts of settling down and having a family had been so real and so tangible, yet ripped from him in one fell swoop. It all came back to one word – _why?_

The front door opened and Dana walked in.

His eyes met hers, different shades of blue meeting and understanding. They had tried and failed those fourteen years ago.

They didn't need words anymore. Words were almost pointless in trying to describe what had happened to them… to their life.

They were strangers to each other – bound together by a single tragedy.

When had he looked into his wife's eyes and first realized that he was looking into the eyes of a stranger? It had to have been a long time ago – when they first understood that none of their efforts would yield the location of their children.

Dana broke the eye contact, disappearing into their bedroom.

Anger coursed through his veins. Was there anything in this world that could justify all the heartache and pain that they had been through? Was there anything that could justify taking their children for no apparent reason? What was there… Nothing was left and his fragile faith in humanity, which had been chipping and cracking for years, shattered.

_Nothing._

Had his life come to nothing? It had come to this – his children gone in the night and his wife estranged from him. Neither of those things fit into the image in the picture on the coffee table – a happy, well-adjusted family.

It had all come to nothing.

* * *

_All the kings' horses and all the kings' men – they couldn't put my broken heart back together again._

He wasn't sure where he had dredged the old CDs up from. But dredged them up he did and pulled out an old player that was still in decent enough condition to provide some of the music it was supposed to. The song was appropriate. All the kings' horses and all the kings' men _couldn't_ put his broken heart back together again. His heart was shattered into a million pieces tiny enough to become grains of sand.

He was all too aware of his surroundings – of the hot sun beating down on him, of the soft, warm grains of sand sliding between his toes, of the distant azure waves, rolling in and out, of the elusive roar of Terra Venture and the smaller native villages. The surf came and went in the distance, but he remained, the pain and memories of the last fourteen years coming to him in a blurry haze.

Nothing had changed here – and he was grateful for it. He needed the beach, their house and Terra Venture to be, when nothing else would. There were times when he felt like his life had slipped into nonexistence and the only thing that needed to follow was his body. Commander Stanton had sent him home more times than he cared to remember, because he couldn't concentrate on his work. Leo, his brother, had become a constant, despite his own wife and family. He couldn't begrudge Leo his children, but there were times when he wished he could turn back time and change something, _anything._

Flashes of jealousy and anger while watching his godchildren – he felt like a green-eyed monster. He and Maya didn't have more children – they couldn't, between Maya's fragile health and the fear of other children meeting the same fate as Bridge. They had wanted a child for so long… and it had been ripped from them. He hoped that Bridge would have some kind of memories of them, but it was unlikely. He had only been three…

Michael Corbett stood on the beach, watching the sparkling, untouched horizon, hoping for something to happen. He wasn't sure what he wanted to happen, just something. He would bring Maya here later in the evening, when it was cooler. She loved the beach so much – Bridge had always loved the beach.

He let out a long breath. It didn't matter where his thoughts started, they always ended with his son – with what had happened to his son.

He had tried. God help him, he had tried. There hadn't been much warning. Communication between Mirinoi and Earth had been faulty then. Aside from the shuttle schedule, it was difficult to tell whether or not messages made it. The messages from Cruger and Manx telling them about their son being taken away for his own good and joining SPD hadn't made it. The frantic messages from Carter had.

Mike had tried not to believe it. Cruger didn't know that he and Maya had gone back to Mirinoi. Wouldn't they be safe? Wouldn't Bridge be safe?

It had been a sheer coincidence that he had passed the shuttle bay and seen Cruger and Manx getting off a private shuttle. His mind had vaguely registered what that meant and he ran. He ran all the way to his house, his thoughts churning as he tried to come up with something that could be done. The only solution had been to give Bridge to the villagers and let them hide him for sometime. Jara was like a grandfather to Maya. He would help them.

If Manx hadn't been a cat, then the villagers might have succeeded to fending her off long enough to get Bridge to a neighboring village. But it hadn't happened. She was faster and stronger than anyone could have imagined.

Things happened so quickly after they got on their shuttle with Bridge that it almost made him dizzy to recall them. Kai had summoned the others – the other Galaxy Rangers. Leo led them to the village and they drew their Quasar Sabers once more, getting on their Jet Jammers and heading to Earth after the shuttle. Too much time had been consumed. The shuttle was one like dozens of other shuttles that ran daily. Mike took the next shuttle and arrived on Earth with news that the others had made no progress. No one knew the location of Bridge and Cruger wasn't telling.

The long and messy legal battle happened next. He and Maya were not the only ones involved in that battle. Cole and Alyssa Evans were in it too along with Carter and Dana Grayson. They had tried, hiring lawyers that none of them could afford, while the line between human and result of an experiment was discussed. It didn't matter what they did – Cruger had better lawyers and the law wanted to side with an alien from a now extinct planet, the only one of his kind left.

Cruger got his way.

There was nothing left to be done on Earth.

He realized that they could stay on Earth and start a private search for Bridge, but Cruger had eyes and ears all over the place. It was likely that a detective or even them searching would just bring nothing or bogus results. The other Galaxy Rangers had gone back to Mirinoi and urged them to do the same.

So they came back, everything in their house a reminder of what had happened and what they had lost. They hadn't moved, but he had packed Bridge's things away, putting them in the attic and had the house redecorated. People urged them to move on, but he couldn't. Maya's rapidly deteriorating health made it worse. It was like she just gave up on living. She hardly slept, hardly ate – they couldn't keep going on like this. Maya could barely move on her own. He knew that she felt the guilt more acutely than ever, since Bridge had been torn from her arms.

But still – it had been fourteen years.

His heart was broken.

His son had been taken from him. His wife was slowly killing herself.

"Why?" he whispered to the surf and the light breeze. "Why?" It had become the constant mantra that plagued his waking life and his dreams. He repeated the word – it became louder and spiraled outward. It was the urge to understand. He had tried to move on and had failed. There was no closure. He _couldn't_ move on.

He wasn't sure when he stopped speaking and started screaming. Bridge's confused cries echoed in his mind, mingling with his own howl of sorrow and confusion and anger.

Sinking to his knees, he felt the warm sand between his fingers, his voice dying out as he got closer to the ground. Tears stung his eyes. He didn't want to cry about this again. So many tears had been shed in the past fourteen years. There were times that he didn't think he had any more tears left to shed.

"Why, Cruger?" he whispered.

If only that dog had seen what would happen – seen what had happened to Maya. Would he feel any remorse for what he had done, what he had taken from them? He was tired of all this constant circling in his mind. It would eventually spiral out and leave him feeling empty and alone, that raw anger still burning on the fringes of his being.

He sank down on his heels, letting the fine, white sand sift through his fingers and fall like a miniature waterfall. Mirinoi – had it been so long ago that he had forgotten the excitement about being part of the team that would find the New World? No – it hadn't been that long ago in the grand scheme of things, less than twenty years. But that was enough time for the children born on Terra Venture, while it was still a space station, to grow up and get married and start families of their own.

Mirinoi – would his son ever know that he was half Mirinite?

It seemed impossible, since both races were humans. But he would feel it as he got older, that longing that he would never quite understand. Mirinite children were connected to their parents and felt their presence at short distances. It was something that they grew used to and it had been obvious that Bridge relied on that consistency. His son would never understand that void within himself that nothing could fill.

"Mike?"

He turned his eyes across the glare of the sun on the white sand. Kai Chen was standing a few feet away from him. Kai was a good friend from their first training days at GSA. He had been there – part of the command staff and confidants that Stanton talked to about his plans and let privy to information that most didn't have. The former Blue Galaxy Ranger was giving him a searching look, his brow furrowed with worry.

"Kai," he responded, almost mechanically. He pushed himself to his feet. Kai had married Hannah, a GSA officer who he, literally, fell head over heels for at the skating rink. They had no children, but Mike wasn't sure of the reason.

"Are you all right?" Kai stepped forward, closing the gap between them.

Mike sighed. It was obvious that Kai had heard him screaming on the beach and had come to investigate. He forgot that Kai and Hannah lived so close to the beach. The truth seemed like the best route to go here.

"I don't know," he said honestly.

Kai nodded, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "It takes time."

"You've been telling me that for the last fourteen years."

"I know." His friend gave him a wry smile. "My father used to tell me that time heals all wounds."

"I'm not sure I believe that," Mike whispered.

Kai raised an eyebrow, more in commiseration than surprise. "It's understandable.

Mike gave his friend an appraising look. Kai had stuck by them all these years, through thick and thin. He visited Maya, doing things that only people close to him knew he would do. He let relatively few people close to him – including Leo and Damon, his roommates on Terra Venture. He and Kendrix were the only ones that truly knew Kai. Kendrix remained close to them for Maya's sake, not willing to let her friend do something rash. But there would always be that wide canyon that couldn't be bridged – Kendrix and Leo had married and had the children that Mike and Maya no longer had.

"Why don't you come up to the house and have a drink?" Kai suggested. Mike knew he wasn't talking about alcohol. "Hannah wants to make sure you're not dehydrated."

Mike nodded and followed Kai up the dunes, to his beach-side house. He would much rather have preferred alcohol – it was like putting water on a mental fire, sometimes like putting oil on it. But he knew that if he started drinking, it would be a dark spiral downward and he wasn't sure that he would come up from it.

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the delay in the update - blame Jepoliant. She was slow getting the beta stuff back to me. At any rate, thanks to everyone who has reviewed and whatnot! I can't promise regular updates for the summer - summer jobs suck! But I will do my best to update once every one or two weeks. :) Again, thank you so much for the support of this piece! 


	12. Precious Possessions II

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

**Chapter Eleven: Precious Possessions II**

Chop. Chop. The knife hit the cutting board in a precise, predictable pattern. He dipped the same knife into the mayonnaise, not caring that the cook would have a fit if he walked in here and saw the haphazard sandwich construction going on. The fluorescent lights in the kitchen buzzed, causing a ringing in his ears. It was one of those times when he was so aware of his surroundings, that he wasn't sure he would hear someone call him over the buzz of the lights, not to mention the buzz of the refrigerator.

He slapped pieces of meat and cheese onto the slice of bread that already held the mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato.

Slap. Chop. Buzz.

It was the rhythm of life.

He gathered all the sandwich fixings and put them back in the fridge, dropping the knife in the sink as he went. Life had become the rhythmic mechanical sense that he was always observing. He based things around what was consistent – what was. Keeping his actions and thoughts grounded in the literal had kept him sane for the first decade. Now, he felt the tentacles of worry and fear slip beyond the force field he had erected around his mind and around his heart.

Jen would have to leave in one year.

The agreement with Time Force had been that she could stay in the present until Sky turned twenty-one. Sky would have turned twenty a few weeks ago. One year left – he could feel it slowly dwindling into nothing. Soon enough, Jen would leave and he would be alone. The cycle would be complete. He had started this cycle alone – Jen rejecting him and comparing him to Alex. He would end it alone – his son and his wife gone.

_Alone._

Wesley Collins sighed, staring at the sandwich, no longer remotely hungry. He didn't want to be alone. People had been torn from his life in ones and twos in the last seventeen years. He and Jen had to send Sky away with Eric – he hadn't heard from Eric in close to fifteen years and he could only hope that he and Sky were all right. Then his father had a series of heart attacks, ending in his death. Now Jen would have to leave in another year. He was in charge of Bio-Lab and all the subsidiaries involved. He wasn't a business man, but Jen had helped him. In one more year, he would be alone.

The future… he used to look forward to the future, always wanting a new adventure. His blue eyes went to the large window in the kitchen. The night was inky black, studded with silver stars. The future frightened him now.

Pushing himself to his feet, he went to the window. He rested his left palm on the cool glass and leaned his forehead against it as well. His breath made a small cloud of steam on the window. In the dim light spilling from the kitchen, he could see the pool and the swing set that he had installed shortly after Jen and Sky were reunited with him in late 2002. Sky had loved that swing set, always wanting someone to push him higher. Wes had always obliged his requests to be pushed on the swings, remembering how his own father had tended to be too busy to play games with him.

Where was Sky?

His eyes looked at the darkness of the backyard, seeing it and not seeing. He remembered all the others – the others involved in the experiments at SPD. Three years after Eric and Sky disappeared into the night, Cruger came after the others – the three Grayson kids, Cole and Alyssa's daughter and the Corbett boy. He hadn't talked to the others about it, feeling secure that Eric had kept himself and Sky hidden. Eric had been an army ranger – he knew how to disappear. Besides, they would have heard if something happened to Eric, wouldn't they?

Life had plodded on. He adapted to filling his father's shoes.

He brought his left hand from the glass, studying the plain gold band on his ring finger. They had so little time to be a family. The time jumps had made things difficult – he hadn't been able to be a part of Sky's life until his son was two and a half. But they were all reunited and the future had looked bright.

Involuntarily, he shuddered.

Turning, he glanced back at the untouched sandwich. He wasn't sure why he had made the sandwich now – maybe it had been to give him something to do, something he didn't have to think about. He went to the counter and picked up the plate with the sandwich. He could put it in the fridge or something – no need to waste it.

"Wes!"

He jumped – the plate and the sandwich crashing to the ground. He stared at the shards of broken crockery mixed with scattered parts of the sandwich. Glancing up, he realized that it was Jen. She was staring at him with a look of concern and amazement. Maybe it was because he hadn't broken any plates when she startled him in the past.

Jen didn't say anything. She just pulled a towel off one of the drawer pulls, crouching by his mess and gathering the broken plate and former sandwich into the towel, throwing the entire bundle in the trash. Wes stood by, frozen to his place, the fluorescent lights buzzing horribly in his ears. He wanted the buzzing to stop.

"Are you all right?" she asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Wes didn't answer – he didn't have an answer. He didn't know if he was all right.

She stepped closer to him, her palm cupping his cheek. "Can you hear the lights buzzing?" she asked.

He nodded.

Jen stepped over the light switch and flipped it – the lights went off, plunging them into darkness, but stopping that irritating noise. He could see her vague shape moving towards him as his eyes adjusted to the moonlight. Her arms went around his waist. Wes let out a long breath, wrapping his arms around her back and holding her close.

"What were you looking at?" she whispered.

"The swing set," he replied.

She understood the implications of that. Sky… he had always wanted to fly. Wes remembered him thinking that an umbrella would stop his fall if he jumped off the balcony. Luckily, he caught him before he tried it and explained the physics of the act to him. Sky never could settle for an answer of 'you can't do that.' He had to have a reason – and a substantial reason. Things like 'it's not safe' didn't work with him.

"Sky loved the swing set," she said softly, her head resting on his shoulder.

"He did."

He closed his eyes, leaning his cheek on the crown of her head. In his mind's eyes, he could see things as they had been. Bright sunlight streaming into the kitchen – Sky sitting at the table, his legs swinging as he ate his cereal. Saturday mornings spent doing nothing other than sitting around outside by the pool. Those had been the good old times. Did Eric let Sky go out on a swing set or explain the physics of why an umbrella wouldn't work as a parachute? Was Sky even happy wherever he was?

Phillips had packed up the things of Sky's that remained after he left with Eric. It was hard to accept that Eric would probably never be able to contact them. It was so much easier to pretend that Sky had just gone away for a little while and was coming home soon. How much time had he spent in denial? Far too much…

Jen pulled away from him, her eyes meeting his in the dim moonlight. "Are you coming to bed sometime soon?"

He nodded. "I'll be there soon."

He watched as Jen retreated towards the stairs. One bright moment of reminiscing and then things went back to the normal, the mundane, the ordinary. But he knew that neither of them could sit around and recall times past. Moving on… he dreaded it, hoping instead for the day that Eric and Sky would show up on their doorstep or at least call. There never had been much hope – only a fool's hope.

_A fool's hope…_

It had kept him going all these years. He had that fragile flame of hope that was kept alive with thoughts of how he would like things to pan out. In seventeen years, none of those things had happened. He wanted his family – and his friends – to be whole again, to be around him as they had been once.

He went to the window – the dark, desolate backyard shifting before his eyes. The night melted into a sunny afternoon. The swing set became newer, not in disrepair. A little boy with blonde hair and blue eyes kicked his legs out as the swing fell back, tucking his legs under the seat as he went forward. A man appeared behind him – it was himself, perhaps a little younger and without the gray streaks in his hair. His hands landed on the small of the boy's back, giving him a push as he came back on the swing.

"Higher! Higher!" Sky called.

But not too much higher because the swing set might tip over.

The scene dissolved into the dark backyard that actually was. The swing set had fallen into disrepair over the years, when it had been too long since Eric called them and let them know how Sky was doing.

"I love you so much, Sky," he whispered to the unfeeling night.

His son wouldn't know him, even if they were reunited.

Who was he kidding?

All his hopes and dreams had rested on the tiny shoulders of the three-year-old boy he had known once. If Sky was still with Eric, then he probably viewed Eric as his father by now. A cold stab of anger and pain hit his heart. It was inevitable, but he didn't want it to be. He wished that there was some way for Sky to remember him and Jen.

His heart had been bruised and bleeding since he sent Sky into the night.

He moved from the window, making his way to the stairs in the dark. He knew the way. He had grown up in this house. He knew each and every nook and cranny.

Moving down the hall, he entered his and Jen's bedroom to take solace in the arms of his wife.

* * *

_Listen… listen with your heart…_

He paused, closing his eyes as his hand stroked the silky fur of the golden retriever. The dog's panicked breathing slowed and he could feel the fear subside. He had never been sure how he could hear the emotions of others, but he had. Perhaps, growing up in the jungle had facilitated that – it was always good to know if a predatory beast was just annoyed or looking for a meal. Perhaps, it had meant survival.

The dog sniffed at his hand. He smiled and offered the hand for the dog's inspection. It sniffed to its satisfaction, then settled down on the examining table, content. He took the stethoscope from around his neck and listened to the dog's heartbeat – healthy and strong, coming at regular intervals.

"You'll be all right," he whispered to the dog.

This particular golden retriever had hurt his leg and was remaining at the clinic overnight so that they could monitor for infections or complications that might come up. The dog had already been panicky once the anesthesia wore off. He placed a hand on the dog's head once more, the canine exuding feelings of trust and security.

Cole Evans gathered the large dog into his arms and carried him to his kennel – where he would comfortably spend the night. It was another success. He hated it when he had to put an animal down – or when one didn't survive surgery. All the animals here were someone's pet – someone loved them dearly. He felt like he had failed when he lost one of them. His clients never knew about the sleepless nights where he would mull over the case, exhausting every possible route he could have gone with it.

_Cole, you can't compensate for what happened a long time ago._

His wife's words floated down to him – he knew she was right. It had been fourteen years and, no matter how many pets he saved, it wouldn't bring Z back to them. He had always loved animals – for as long as he could remember. In the early days of he and Alyssa's marriage, he would bring homeless animals to their garage and nurse them back to health. That had been when he was still a student at the veterinary school. Z's birth had caused him to cut down on the classes, but he had been close to graduating by the time their daughter turned three.

Elizabeth – he smiled at the memory of her. He had nicknamed her 'Z' almost as soon as Alyssa had finished naming her 'Elizabeth.' It was such a stuffy name – and the baby girl was anything but stuffy. She had giggled instead of cried when she was born. She had been so happy and ready for life – and always asserted her opinion about things.

Eric had not known what to do with a three-year-old girl who insisted upon wearing a particular lavender dress to all events she deemed 'special occasions.' The idea had been a good one – Wes' son was already with Eric and the SPD people knew it. They wouldn't dream of looking for Z in the most obvious place.

But too many things came against them.

First, Cruger had fabricated a charge against him, throwing him in SPD prison with the conditions that he would be released if he revealed the location of Z. Both he and Cruger knew that the charge was false – but no one at SPD was going to challenge their commander, who was known to have a volatile temper.

He didn't know all the details of what happened while he was incarcerated, but he did know that Alyssa went to see Z one evening shortly after the arrest. Manx followed her there and, with the infamous threats, managed to make his wife hand over their daughter.

Cole had been released the next day – the terms of the release had been simple. He had to keep his mouth shut about his arrest and their daughter's kidnapping. In return, the arrest would be expunged from his record. No publicity at all…

That hadn't been the end of it. He and Alyssa had gone to court with the others whose children had been taken – Carter and Dana, Mike and Maya. It changed nothing.

Letting out a long sigh, he double-checked the latch on the kennel. It was secure and the golden retriever was almost asleep.

He went into his office, gazing at the picture on his desk. It had been taken a few weeks before they put Z with Eric – it had been Z's third birthday. She had had her 'Z' necklace for a long time, but that was when they gave her the locket. Alyssa had meant to put pictures of them in it, but time and circumstances were against that. The pictures never happened – he hoped that Z still had her necklaces.

He didn't blame Alyssa.

He _ couldn't_ blame Alyssa.

Manx would have found another way, if they had denied that Z was in the house that night. The cat would have gotten what she wanted. Cole didn't know much about SPD or the experiments that Alyssa had been a part of, but, when he had met Manx during the time he and Alyssa spent as rangers, he had always liked her, known she had a good heart. Her actions confused him – it was like she was following orders against her will.

_Where do we draw the line?_

Indeed – where to draw the line between when to blindly follow orders and when to listen with your heart to something.

So much was unknown – there was so much he didn't know. Perhaps, it would be better if he didn't know any of it. He just wanted to see his daughter one last time, even from a distance, to see how she was, how she was doing. Like all the other couples who had their children taken from them, they didn't have any more children. Other children would meet the same fate that Z did… and he didn't want that to happen.

Z would be seventeen now…

God – the future he had been dreaming of for a long time had come to pass and he was just now realizing it. The first time he had held Z, he imagined what it would be like when she got older, when she started dating and going to dances. That time was here now – and the years when she would be a little girl, dressing up and playing with her friends were gone.

He sank into his desk chair, the weight of the years sitting on his shoulders. It should not have come to guilt and trying to make up for something that he could not have prevented. Their family should have been whole. What did Cruger hope to accomplish with taking the children away? It seemed rash and an overreaction – but to what, no one was sure. The dog was veiled in mystery and no one knew anything about him besides what all the others knew.

And then there was Alyssa…

He knew that she tried to blame herself solely for what happened. She let that guilt weigh down on her until there was just a ghost of the person he had married. He knew what she told herself in mirror – _I was the one that gave Z to Manx. I was the one involved in the experiments. It is entirely my fault._

Reason, logic, heartfelt pleas – there was nothing he could tell her that take away some of that pain and some of that guilt. He had tried everything and all his efforts had yielded was a wide canyon between them. Oh, their marriage was in no danger nor was their relationship, but there was some things that they could no longer talk about. Z was one of them…

Their daughter haunted his every waking and sleeping moment.

He saw her as she had been, since he had no idea what she would look like now. He had an idea, but, even though he didn't know what she would look like, he knew that he would be able to recognize her, no matter what.

Glancing at the clock, he pushed himself up from his desk, knowing that it was time to head home… and still have time to make the stop that he always made. He checked on the attendants who were working the night shift, before going to his car. He drove almost on autopilot to the small house that he knew so well.

The road signs announced the town before he got there. Newtech City was not far from Turtle Cove. It had been the last place he saw his daughter. He knew that Eric and Taylor still lived there, but had been forbidden to share that information with anyone, especially Wes and Jen. He had to claim that he didn't know where they were – where Sky was.

Slowing down the car, he turned into a residential area. The houses here were small, old, remnants of a cheap neighborhood constructed in the eighties. They had been built when Newtech City was nothing more than a suburb of the next, larger city. With the advent of SPD, the town had grown and this neighborhood had been added on to and expanded so that it was one of the prominent subdivisions. But those little, old houses still stood proud in the heart of the wild-turned-planned neighborhood.

Eric still lived in that house – his car was in the driveway.

There was no way that the former Quantum Ranger would know that he drove past here almost daily, hoping… He wasn't sure what he was hoping for – maybe that Z would vaguely remember the last house she had called home. Perhaps that he would get a glimpse of Sky, who he remembered only as the six-year-old that he had been.

Communication wasn't allowed, but it was tempting to just park and knock on the door, asking Eric how he had been, asking what he knew. Death didn't frighten him – but the death of his daughter did frighten him.

He drove past the house, not slowing the car, just heading for the side streets that would lead him to the main freeway and then onto Turtle Cove to his home. Z had only been three when she had been taken. She would have nothing of them other than insubstantial memories that she probably thought were from earlier in her adopted life. It hurt to think about that – it did. But now, he just hoped she was happy wherever she was. Maybe she was looking for them and would come home one day.

The lights of the freeway glowed in the early evening light.

It was a routine – one that he couldn't break.

Did Eric know something about his daughter – about any of the other children? He obviously knew where Sky was, but, by this time, Cruger might have brought all of the kids to SPD. It didn't matter – Cruger had a restraining order on all of them that extended through the academy grounds and to most of Newtech. He shouldn't risk going to Newtech like he did.

_ But everything has a price._

* * *

**Author's Note:** I'm updating as soon as humanly possible:) I know it's been over a week - a long time for me. Thanks to Jepoliant for beta reading (although, through file mix-ups, she didn't get the second half of this chapter. It might be reposted with possible grammatical errors corrected later). Also, thanks to those of you that are sticking with me throughout the summer! You are awesome! Now, I'm off to go catch up on the stories that I missed during the past week and go sleep before Sunday rolls around. :) Cheers! 


	13. Truth and Consequences I

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

**Chapter Twelve: Truth and Consequences I**

_Sirius – his home and now it was being invaded by the Troovian forces. SPD was working round the clock, with no sleep for months. But the armies were relentless. Krybots, who felt no fatigue or pain, pounding on their defenses day and night._

_ The robots surrounded him. He swung at them with his sword, trying to remain alert enough to help. There had to be a way to stop them and SPD needed to stay afloat long enough for that to happen._

_ One blast and darkness surrounded him._

_ He thought he had been out for a few minutes, but something was wrong. He opened his eyes and saw the destruction. All was quiet and still. His fingers grasped his sword, feeling the cool metal and knowing he was alive. His howl of anger ripped through the night._

Anubis Cruger stared at the consol in front of him, seeing the glowing lights and not seeing them. Had it really been twenty years since his home planet and people had been destroyed? Had it really been twenty years since he came to Earth and began another SPD? If it had been twenty years since he came to Earth, then it had been nineteen years since the experiments that altered the DNA of the people involved.

The experiments had been to create super-powers. The goal had been to make a formula that human infants could ingest. His theory had been that – if the humans had more defenses that just technology – it would be harder for someone like the Troovians to come to their planet and decimate them. The formula never happened, but something else did. Exposure to the chemicals used in the experiments caused changes within the humans. Nothing on the outside happened to them, but it would affect their children. Those children would have the super-powers that he had wanted invented.

What had happened could not be duplicated. With the initial failure of the formula, he had hoped that exposing humans to the chemicals would create more of the children. No record of precisely what happened and unwilling volunteers caused the project to the scrapped.

And still – he feared for the Earth.

The SPD employees involved in the experiments went home, their particular brands of expertise no longer needed. Most of them went back to families, husbands and wives. One couple went back to Mirinoi. One started the family they had wanted when they married. A single girl had a stint as a Power Ranger, before settling down. The single man was a mystery, but went back to the elite police force he commanded. Corbett, Grayson, Enrile and Collins… he filed their names away, knowing that something might happen.

It presented itself in the form of twin babies in late 2001.

The twins could phase through solid objects – their parents found that out early on when they would escape from their playpen. He knew that those twins would be an asset to SPD and would be able to survive an invasion. There had to be a way to ensure they ended up at SPD, but how? On his now-obsolete home planet, it was rare for children to grow up with their biological parents. Children were groomed for a certain task early on. Perhaps there was a way for him to enact that with these children, on a planet were children tended to remain with their biological parents from birth onward.

The Troovians were still deep in another galaxy, but were moving ever closer to Earth. By the time those twins reached adulthood, the Troovians would be upon them. SPD would be the last defense and needed the twins and their powers.

Other children followed. The twins' had a little sister, who could turn her hands into whatever she was touching. A girl like that, able to turn her fists into iron, would be almost unbeatable in a fight. Feeling no pain in her hands, she could continue to pummel at whatever she was fighting. She could take out dozens of Krybots with no injury to herself. The twins could run through solid objects, obscuring an entire army from finding them. They could also launch surprise attacks. Three powerful siblings…

The Mirinite humans and the college girl had children at the same time. The Mirinite boy was psychometric and able to read psychic residue. He could sense projected emotions. The boy had a degree of telepathy, meaning, if honed, he could read minds. He would be a valuable stealth asset, finding the enemies' plans. The daughter of the college girl could replicate herself, making as many replicates as she wanted. That girl could be a one-person army – sending replicates of her out to fight, with no harm to the real self.

Then the Collins' boy surfaced. His mother was a Time Force officer and, through time-jumps, had been born in 2000. Cruger was soon able to divine that he had been conceived after the experiments, because he had the ability to create force fields with his mind. If that skill were honed, the boy would be able to create a force field large enough to surround Earth and keep invading armies from ever entering their atmosphere.

Those six children had to end up at SPD – but how?

He talked to their parents, creating a story about the children becoming a danger to themselves and it being better for them to be placed elsewhere. Collins and his wife did not believe him – that was obvious. Almost no one could see the powers of the children for what they were. He had then sent Kat, who explained that, since the children had powers, it was essential for them to come to SPD. Collins told them, in so many words, that his son would have power over his own future and he would not force him to go to SPD. That left one extreme choice.

He gave the order for Sky to be forcefully taken from his parents.

Collins outsmarted him for a while, placing Sky with his partner and sending the pair off into the night. Eric Myers proved to be a worthy opponent, keeping him and Sky hidden for close to two years. In the interim, Cruger didn't dare have any of the other children taken for fear that he would be hunting across the country for six children instead of just one. The others had to be lulled into a false sense of security.

He found Myers. It took two years, but he found him. It was time to cut a bargain. Myers would kill himself and Sky before ever letting the boy be taken from him. Cruger knew it was time to admit defeat here. SPD would just have to sacrifice having the boy with the ability to create force fields. Myers also had to be silenced. If he took Sky back to his parents, then the whole story would be exposed and none of the other children would end up at SPD. He created the adoption, stating the terms of changing Sky's last name and not telling him anything about his parents or where he came from. If the terms were violated, he would remove Sky. Myers wasn't stupid. He agreed to the terms.

Cruger waited another year before going after the other children, since their parents' reactions had been the same as Collins. The initial attempts to get the three Grayson siblings and the Evans' girl failed. It was time to go to Mirinoi and get the Corbett boy. He and Kat succeeded in getting him and brought him to Earth to place him in a group home. The terms of adoption for the boy were simple. At fifteen, he had to be enrolled at the SPD Academy. There were some problems though. The boy refused to eat. He gave that task to Kat and focused on the four children that had been eluding him.

Grayson had the right idea, almost the same idea that Collins had. He sent his children to his brother-in-law's house, in hopes that Cruger would go to his house first and give the kids – now five and four – a head start. The brother-in-law was supposed to take the children to the Lightspeed Aqua Base. With maximum security, it would have worked. But Grayson didn't have as much of a head start as he thought. Cruger intercepted the children as they dashed down the street towards the brother-in-law's house. He had an adopted family arranged for them and the twins and their sister went to live with their new family immediately. The terms of the adoption were the same as the ones with the Corbett boy – at fifteen, all three of the siblings must be enrolled at SPD.

The daughter of Enrile, now going by her married name of Evans, seemed to have vanished off the face of the Earth. Wherever she was, it wasn't with her parents. Going to desperate extremes, he fabricated a charge against Cole Evans, the father of the girl, and had him thrown in SPD prison until he revealed the whereabouts of his daughter. Kat found her by following the mother. Evans had put her daughter with Myers. A clever move, but she shouldn't have been visiting the girl. With thoughts of her husband and daughter being harmed, Evans handed over the girl. Cruger had her placed in a group home with the same terms of adoption as the other children.

The Corbett boy was starving himself to death.

By this time, Cruger had washed his hands of the whole affair. Five of the six children would join SPD and Earth would be protected from the Troovians.

Kat hadn't wanted to do this in the beginning and had voiced her concern. Now, she made it her business to see that the Corbett boy started eating again. She took him to the one person she knew could help him – Myers. He took the boy in, got him to eat again and, within a few months, the boy was placed with an adopted family.

Three years later, the Evans' girl ran away from the group home she had been in. It wasn't hard to keep track of her whereabouts, since she stayed in the same areas. Kat watched over her, making sure that some of the working people in the areas knew about her and took her in. An opportunity would come to bring her to SPD. Cruger just had to be patient and bide his time with her.

He was shocked in 2015, to see the name Schuyler Tate on the list of new cadets. Soon enough, he learned that it was a decision Sky had made. He wanted to join SPD. Cruger could see Myers fuming at that, but allowing it. So, he hadn't had to sacrifice the force fields. Through sheer dumb luck, Tate came to them.

The others began to enroll in their respective years. In 2016, Austin and Paris Drew joined the academy. Paris chose the ranger track, while Austin opted for the officer track. Soon enough, he learned that Paris took orders from no one and had to be removed from the ranger track. He tried everything to get Austin on the ranger track, but nothing worked. The following year, their little sister, Sydney Drew, joined the academy and chose the ranger track. After her, Bridge Carson entered and opted for the ranger track. Five of them were at the academy. The only one left to get was Elizabeth Delgado.

The twins had problems. Paris could not take orders from anyone. On her sixteenth birthday in her first year, she was almost expelled for throwing a party complete with sex, drugs and alcohol. Cruger managed to stop the expulsion, but had to take her off the ranger track. He sent Austin to the Nebula branch of the academy, more as punishment. Paris settled down the next year, with her sister's appearance. She was distrustful of him and Kat, protecting her sister and trying everything to get Austin back at SPD. At least she was at SPD. He would bring Austin to Earth if it looked like he needed more of the phasing power.

Soon enough, his opportunity to bring in Elizabeth Delgado came. She got involved in the activities of Jack Landors, a well-known Robin Hood type of thief. The three B-Squad rangers – Sky, Syd and Bridge – brought her in. He offered to let her join SPD. She accepted and all six of the children were now at SPD.

Earth would be well-protected from the Troovians.

Conner McKnight had been an interesting find in 2020. He had been part of a ranger team called Dino Thunder. Their ranger powers came from ancient, powerful stones called Dino-Gems. Aside from ranger powers, they gave the owners super-powers. These powers had not faded with the ranger powers. He had managed to find two of those rangers. Kira Ford, teaching at the school at SPD, had something called Ptera-Scream. If she concentrated, her screams carried enough energy to knock people out and destroy whole buildings. McKnight had super-speed. He was also at the end of his rope, having no apartment or job and trying to care for his two small daughters. Cruger offered him the Red Ranger position, effectively bringing he and Ford into SPD. The other Dino Thunder Rangers were more discreet about their lifestyles and he was hard-pressed to find the other three. Unfortunately, McKnight's daughters didn't share his power – as it was imposed on him by superficial means, not changing his DNA.

Between the six children, Ford and McKnight, Cruger felt safe about the ultimate fate of Earth. These eight could do what no native of Sirius could. Earth would not suffer the same fate as his beloved Sirius.

Now that he had what he wanted, it made him wonder.

Had he done the right thing?

Wasn't the protection and survival of Earth more important than families?

The greater good had spoken.

Kat had continued to keep up with the children and their families. Maya Corbett, Bridge's mother, suffered from depression and had been anemic and frail since the day that her son had been taken. She was the most extreme. The majority of the parents had faded away, the light in their eyes burning out. Someone had taken their most precious possession. None of them had any more children, since they would meet the same fate.

_Had he done the right thing?_

The question haunted his every waking moment and worked itself into his dreams. He had dreams of Sirius being destroyed intertwined with the screams of children as they were ripped away from their parents. He should tell them about their parents. All of them were at SPD now. It wouldn't hurt to tell them.

But he couldn't.

If Paris found out who her parents were, she would leave SPD and take Syd with her. If any of them found out about why they were here… it would be more than just Paris and Syd walking out. Bridge would get on the first shuttle to Mirinoi and Z would be on the first bus to Turtle Cove. Sky would quit when he learned of the unscrupulous methods used. Paris would spend the money to contact Austin at the Nebula Academy and Austin would join his sisters in leaving SPD.

He couldn't tell them.

Earth would be destroyed if they left.

Cruger wouldn't let Earth become another Sirius.

The moment that the Troovian forces were neutralized and the threat to Earth was over, he would tell them about their parents, but not before that. Earth couldn't afford to lose six of the most valuable fighters ever seen.

He thought to Paris and her weekend project of searching for her parents. In order to keep her from finding something pertinent, he put all the files from 2001 under lock and key. No publicity had followed their abductions, so she wouldn't find something in the media archives. She might send to Mirinoi for their archives, but it was doubtful she would get the correct year. If he could just keep her in the dark a little longer, then she could know.

Sacrificing his reputation for the Earth – it seemed a small price to pay.

People kept the parents of the abducted children silent. Collins was never told that Myers had been found and adopted his son. He still thought that Sky and Eric were hidden somewhere. The others were forced to remain silent.

Yes – when the Troovians left, his reputation would be shot.

But he would have saved Earth.

It was a small price to pay.

He could see them now, growing up with their parents. Bridge would not have that lost, slightly afraid look that constantly haunted his expression and eyes. Z would not expect things to fail before they even began. Sky would not be such a stickler for the rules. He would know how to smile and have fun. Paris and Syd would be much more level-headed. Paris would know why and when to follow the rules and Syd would not be a beauty queen narcissist. Austin would not be so quiet and vulnerable, bowing at every blow.

No – the greater good demanded what he had done.

The scales had tipped and Earth was more important.

Slowly, the consol came back into focus. He was aware of the blinking lights, scanning for unusual energy readings. The soft buzz of the fluorescent lights and the soft beeping of the various scanners seemed louder than normal. But it was his anchor – he knew where he was and that it was real. Two levels up, the cadets were asleep in their quarters. One level up, the officers were asleep in their apartments. He tapped a few buttons on the consol, bringing up the location of each morpher. Since they were required to have their morphers at all times, it gave him their exact location.

Sky and Bridge were in their room.

Syd and Z were in theirs.

Conner was in his apartment.

Cruger tapped a few more buttons. There were ways to track the other officers and cadets without ranger powers – even the ones at the Nebula Academy. Paris and Austin had matching rings with Tangarian stones. Since these were the only such stones at either academy, he could track them.

Paris was in her apartment.

Austin was in his room.

He tapped the controls again, this time searching for heat signatures. Kira was in her room from the heat readings.

A hand touched his shoulder.

He jumped at the sudden touch. Turning to the side, he saw Kat standing beside him in the command center. She looked concerned.

"You had the dream again." It wasn't a question.

Cruger let out a long breath. That dream about Sirius always lead to the long train of thought involving what had happened with the children and whether or not he had done the right thing. He always came to the conclusion that he had – Earth was far more important than the families that had been torn.

"I was just thinking about the rangers," he replied.

"And the twins."

He fought the urge to growl. Kat knew him entirely too well. The twins were always involved in any thoughts about the rangers. She had made morphers for all six of the children. The white and black morphers would belong to Austin and Paris, but he could not find a good enough excuse to give them to them. Neither was on the ranger track and it would look suspect to just give them morphers. Perhaps, he would ignore the regulations he had established, bring Austin back and give the twins their morphers.

It was impossible.

He had five rangers with powers – seven would not make a significant difference.

"Bring Austin back," Kat said in an urgent tone of voice. "Give him and Paris the morphers. You need them on the team."

"No," he said firmly. "Neither is on the ranger track. I can't bend regulations."

"You did for Delgado."

"I know. That is why I can't do it again."

"You're a stubborn old dog!" Kat hissed. "You went through all that trouble to make sure all of them ended up here and now you won't let them serve the purpose you wanted them to! Austin and Paris want to be rangers! Let them do it!"

"And have Paris run amuck on us? No."

"She won't, if you would just put a little faith in her." Kat paused and shook her head. "You know why she doesn't follow orders. It's because she feels that you don't trust her. Give her your trust and she'll make a great ranger."

Cruger was silent for a moment. "I don't know what to do, Kat. I think back to what happened all those years ago – what I did – and I wonder if I did the right thing."

"It didn't have to be that way. Those children would have realized soon enough that they had the power to save Earth and would have come here of their own accord." She paused and her expression became loathing. "But you were so concerned that they wouldn't come here, that you kidnapped them—"

"That is enough!" he growled. "You're bordering on insubordination."

"You know I'm right," she shot back.

"Leave!" he roared.

Kat hissed, but left the command center.

Cruger stared at the consol, the lights becoming distant and almost surreal once more. He had tried so hard – only to be snubbed for his efforts. He knew that Kat was right – Paris and Austin needed their morphers. They would do it, if for no other reason than to protect their little sister.

_Was this worth all the heartache he had caused?_

Yes. The greater good had spoken.

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** I'm posting without my beta reader because I'm a horrible person. (Actually, I wanted to update but she was being super slow about it - whatever happened to Saturdays, Jepoliant?) So, she will read this and I will go back at a later date and post a beta read and edited version of this chapter. (Come to think of it, she has read it before, just not beta read it.) Thanks to everyone who is sticking with me throughout the summer - you guys are the best! I'll try to update next weekend! 


	14. Truth and Consequences II

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

**Chapter Thirteen: Truth and Consequences II**

Syd watched as Paris slammed her fists on the table in frustration, her teeth clenched as she growled at the unrelenting message across the computer screen – access denied. Apparently one had to be a person at the proper level in order to have access. Unfortunately, an A-Level cadet who was also a B-Squad Power Ranger and an SPD patrol officer were not at the proper level. From the restrictions, it appeared that the only person with access to the files that Paris wanted was Cruger.

"This doesn't make sense," Paris said, shaking her head. "There is no reason for _all_ the files from 2001 to be locked up like this."

"Is it everything?" Syd asked. Sometimes results of experiments or security logs that had highly personal information were restricted – it helped to protect privacy and to keep prying Troovians from getting information that might help their battle.

Her sister nodded. "All the media files, all the security logs, all the operating reports – everything." Paris let out a long breath. "And there's no reason for it."

"Does it matter?" Syd asked. "We don't have a starting point anyways."

"True." Her sister looked defeated. "I thought we had a starting point at Blue Bay Harbor, but apparently not."

Their birth certificates had been altered to show the new last names – names that had nothing to do with their birth and adopted parents – and a hospital and place of birth that coincided with the adoption. Paris had tried to get the courts to release their real birth certificates, but nothing could budge the iron lock on them. Syd let out a long breath – she didn't understand why Paris insisted on continuing this search all the time. It wasn't like she had ever found anything worthwhile. Besides, their adopted parents would welcome her back, if she would just show a little faith in them.

Perhaps Paris' faith in others had shattered – Syd felt guilty, thinking about the opulent birthday that their adopted parents had planned for her, a party that she hadn't told Paris about and that she was fairly certain her sister didn't have an idea of the extent of. Her sister was completely self-reliant – she relied on no one and tried to make sure that no one relied on her. That was where the plan failed – too many people relied on her. Syd had always gone to Paris for advice and comfort. It was hard to imagine having a falling out with her, which would end with Paris leaving SPD for good.

Maybe it was time to pose a question that she had wanted to ask for a long time. Now that Paris had graduated, there was nothing keeping her at SPD. She could join the normal police force, the GSA, NASADA – just about any other elite organization that dealt with crime, no matter how minute. Syd found she liked SPD – and the people she worked with.

"Why do you stay here?" she whispered.

Paris gave her a sharp look. "Apart from that being totally non-related to the present topic, why do you ask?"

"I'm just wondering." She paused. "You don't have to stay here."

"I do," she said softly. Then she smiled. "Someone has to make sure that you stay out of trouble."

As a ranger, Syd technically outranked her sister, graduation from the academy aside. There had to be another reason. "Is it because of Austin?"

Paris sighed. "Look, Syd, there's a lot going on here that you don't understand."

"I'm only a year younger than you, Quit acting like you're so much older."

"In a way, I am." She paused. "What do you guys have to do for punishment when you do something stupid? Clean something? Officers' pay is docked – there have been instances of officers actually owing SPD money."

"But you—"

"I hardly get paychecks – it doesn't matter if I've done everything I'm supposed to or not. It's a pittance – I can hardly buy groceries with it." Paris sighed. "I don't have the money to leave here and go somewhere else."

"But you took those leave days and went to Blue Bay Harbor!"

"Yeah – and I borrowed the money from Aunt Rose."

Aunt Rose was a distant relation of their adopted parents'. No one was quite sure how she was related, so she had been given the title 'aunt.' However, she was rich beyond belief, but didn't want to live like that. She was always willing to dole out money to whatever relative so much as asked for it. Since Rose was eccentric and didn't tend to play by the rules, she and Paris had got along well when Paris had been younger.

"I didn't know," Syd said quietly.

"No one needs to."

"They do! You spend your entire life behind a wall – not letting anyone close to you. Maybe one of us could help."

Paris gave her a level stare. "The only way for my present situation to be helped is if someone went back in time and made me stay on the ranger track." She paused, running a hand through her hair. "It's not worth talking about. There's still work to be done here."

Syd inwardly fumed. Paris never let anyone behind her mask. She knew everything about Syd and was interested in what went on in her life, but never let something from her own life slip out. This was the way things were – nothing could be done about that. She let out a long breath and glanced back to the screen. There was no point in pursuing the topic, because, as far as her sister was concerned, the conversation was over.

"Is there something else?" she whispered.

"It's too much of a coincidence that six people with powers ended up at SPD. We are the only people native to this planet with those powers. We're all related somehow – I'd just love to know how."

* * *

"So where is Syd?"

"Helping Paris go through some stuff at the archives. And then they were going to go catch a movie or something. We have the room to ourselves."

Z glanced over her shoulder at Bridge as she put the DVD in Syd's DVD player and picked up the remote. They were going to have the girls' room to themselves. Syd had taken to helping Paris with her weekend project of searching for their parents – probably more out of guilt than anything else after that birthday fiasco. That suited Z just fine. It meant that Syd was out of the room most evenings, therefore not nagging her about her chaotic side of the room and lack of cleaning skills.

This was the promised "date" with Bridge. It had taken a few days to pick a location for watching the movie – and then wait for the location to be free. The lounge was always too crowded and they didn't want to wait until all the non-ranger cadets went to bed. With their rooms, both Sky and Syd had decided to remain in residence for the past few nights, making a "date" impossible to facilitate.

Tonight, Syd had disappeared into the archives and Z had pounced on the chance.

"Where's Sky?" she asked, sitting on her bed next to Bridge and navigating through the menu on the disc.

"Asleep," Bridge answered.

Z raised her eyebrows. "What did he do to get so wiped out today?"

"He and Conner were training at the simulator." Bridge shrugged. "I guess Conner beat him up pretty good."

"You guess? I thought you could see all these things."

"I'm trying to cut back on jumping into his mind."

That should have surprised her and even disgusted her, but it didn't. The rest of the B-Squad knew more than they wanted to know about Sky, courtesy of Bridge who tended to say something without thinking it through. It hardly mattered now – sometime throughout capturing aliens who blew up prisons and throwing surprise parties the five of them had become a coherent unit, able to work together without causing a nuclear meltdown. Of course, it helped that Cruger had started letting them help with training for the C and D-Squad – both squads made them look competent and with the program.

"People think I know everything," Bridge said softly. "I don't."

Z gave him a sidelong glance. "I never said you knew everything."

"Cruger thinks I can find out anything."

Cruger thought that about all of them – Z had that thought more and more often as she learned more about the others, SPD and their supposed leader. He had overestimated their powers and their ability to hone the powers. No one else had powers like theirs so there wasn't a mentor or someone else with the power to train with. Cruger didn't understand that with most of their powers – hers, Sky's, Bridge's – that they had to concentrate mass amounts of energy in order to create bigger and better force fields, more replicates, sift through memories etc. Sky physically did not have enough energy to create big enough and strong enough force fields to please Cruger – in other words, he couldn't create a force field big enough to shield a planet. Z could not create an army – several hundred – replicates. She had enough energy to create fifty, at the most, and when she created that many she couldn't control most of them. And Bridge… he couldn't just throw his mind out and reach Gruumm – it didn't work like that. In order to read someone's mind, Bridge had to be in the room with that person.

The pressure was building here – and someone was going to crack under the strain.

"Was Cruger in the simulator with Conner and Sky?"

Bridge nodded. Z let out a long breath. That gave the real reason for Sky to be sleeping – he had used up all his energy on force fields. In a way, she envied Conner and Syd. Their powers were more an extension of their bodies. It didn't require energy for Syd to change her hand into something else or for Conner to use his super-speed. It required concentration, but nowhere near the amounts of physical strain the others felt.

But there were others with powers here – Kira Ford, one of the schoolteachers, had the same kind of powers as Conner, except hers was a super-sonic scream. It made her wonder why she was just a teacher and not an officer. Then there was Paris and her ability to phase.

Bridge was still frowning with worry. Z scooted closer to him. "What are you really worried about? And don't tell me it's Syd interrupting – she knows to stay away."

He tried to smile and failed – this was unusual for Bridge. He was the happy-go-lucky one that was always smiling. "I'm afraid that if Cruger starts to push us more and more, something bad will happen." He shook his head. "There's something in Sky's aura – and yours too. It's like a warning. I'm afraid if Cruger keeps pushing, someone will get hurt or—"

_Die._

The word was unspoken and it hung in the air between them. Z closed the gap between and rested her head on Bridge's shoulder, her arm around his waist. He sighed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She knew what it meant to have physical contact from Bridge. He eschewed touching people, even with his gloves on, because there was too much emotional projection and residue in the air.

"Bridge," she said softly, moving her head so she could see him. She gently rested her palm on his cheek. "No one is going to die. We all know our limits – and Cruger can't push us beyond them."

His blue eyes meet hers and he gave her a tentative smile. "Your eyes look like chocolate," he replied.

Z fought the urge to laugh. "Are you hungry?"

"Sort of," he admitted.

She did laugh and gently cupped his face between her palms. Leaning forward, she gave him a soft, innocent kiss on the lips, retreating just as quickly as she closed in. He had a look on his face that was surprise mixed with pleasure. She had never had a physical relationship that had not involved brutality – and she knew that Bridge was incapable of hurting the people that he cared about.

Bridge leaned forward, starting the next kiss. It became a little longer, a little deeper. He tasted good – there were remnants of a mint and, distantly, coffee, but something else that was uniquely Bridge. She guessed the line about her eyes being like chocolate was about the most romantic he would get.

"Are we going to watch the movie?" she asked breathlessly.

He shrugged. "We don't have to."

_That_ was something Bridge would say. She laughed again, reveling in the soft, sweet kisses that she had never known before.

* * *

He blinked and glanced at the clock. It was just gone nine. For some reason it felt like it should be much later. Sky sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes, the headache that had been a pounding pain had diminished to a dull ache. The events of the afternoon came tumbling back to him, giving him the reason he had decided to go to bed so early and skip dinner. The simulator training had supposed to be about honing his power – he had thought that meant working on creating on-the-spot force fields that were substantial enough to shield himself and the other rangers against an explosion. No – it had meant working on creating larger and stronger force fields until he ended up with a roaring headache and a bleeding nose.

Conner had stepped in when the nosebleed started, saying that this was ridiculous and they needed to stop. Cruger hadn't looked happy, but he sent them back to their quarters. He wouldn't have thought it possible before, but he was glad that McKnight stood up for him. Kat had come in with one of the dermal regenerators and stopped the nosebleed in a few seconds – he wasn't sure how a dermal regenerator was supposed to help, but it had.

Kat didn't know about the nosebleed that had started once he got back to his room. Bridge was gone – he and Z were watching a movie or something along those lines. He had stopped the bleeding on his own and then gone to bed.

He put his hand to his nose and drew it away – it was sticky with fresh blood. Great. Sky got out of bed and went into the bathroom, leaning over the sink and grabbing a handful of tissues. He should go to the infirmary and report this – but it seemed so trivial. Turning on the facet, he got a washcloth damp and pressed it to the back of his neck. He then used his free hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. Simple but effective.

He thought to the brief phone conversation he had with his father before going to bed. He claimed that he had nosebleeds when he first discovered his powers and had been trying to use them, but those stopped once he learned how to control his powers. His father wasn't sure what the nosebleeds now meant. Sky was almost grateful that he was scheduled to have the weekend off soon – he could go home and get some answers.

The bleeding tapered off.

Sky let out a long breath. He was light-headed and hungry, not to mention the lingering effects of the headache. The first thing he needed to do was go to the lounge and get something to eat, then he needed to go back to bed. Going back into the bedroom, he searched for a pair of shoes and put them on, not caring that he wasn't in his uniform and grabbed a box of tissues.

The halls were quiet and deserted – probably because it was nearing lights-out for the lower level cadets and the higher level cadets were in their rooms working.

"Sky!"

He frowned and turned at the sound of Syd's voice. She was just coming out of the archives room. She glanced down at what he was wearing. "Nice variation on the uniform," she said, a note of joviality behind her words.

He frowned again and looked down at his clothes. He was dressed, just not in something that was coordinated. Was there something wrong with blue plaid pajama pants and a blue long-sleeved shirt? It was what he normally slept in.

"Thanks," he replied dryly.

"What's with the tissues?"

"Long story."

"Okay," Syd said. "I can see this is going to get a little one-sided. Where are you heading to?"

"The lounge – I'm going to get something to eat."

"Cool! I'll join you."

"Whatever."

"Whatever," Syd mimicked, falling into step with him. Sky gave her a sidelong glare, not in the mood for this. Ever since that incident with the diamonds, he had felt connected to her in some way – and then all the stuff with the birthday and that damn poem. He was still beating his head against the wall to get a coherent poem in that meter. It was almost done – and he wanted the satisfaction of the shocked look on Paris' face. That woman didn't shock easily and he wanted to be the one that did it, especially if the stories the others officers told was anything to go by.

The lounge was empty. It didn't surprise him. Someone had left their cards scattered over the low table and parts to a video game were still out. If his head felt better, he would have fumed about it, but he didn't have the energy.

He went over to the food replicator and punched a few buttons.

"You're eating a sandwich with rabbit food in it?" Syd was standing on her tiptoes, looking over his shoulder in disgust at the sandwich.

He shrugged. "Got to keep in shape."

She rolled her eyes. "Can't even splurge on a midnight snack?"

"It's not midnight yet," he pointed out, taking a seat at one of the tables that were pushed in one corner café-style.

Syd waved the comment away, sitting across from him. "Mere triviality." She reached over the table and examined the contents of the sandwich. "You and your rabbit food," she muttered. "Doesn't your dad send you care packages with sweets?"

"That's mostly for Bridge."

The look on Syd's face clearly said, 'and he's got an answer for everything.' He took a bite of the sandwich, just wanting sustenance at this point in his life. He also wanted to eat as quickly as possible and get back to bed before he got another nosebleed.

"Did you guys find anything in the archives?"

"No," Syd said sullenly. She was playing with a lock of her hair, twirling it around her finger. "Did you know that officers' pay is docked when they mess something up?"

"Yeah. It's supposed to be incentive not to screw up when it can be avoided." He paused, chewing his food and swallowing. "I don't think it's fair, but I can't change it."

"I wish I could."

Sky had a feeling that Paris had most to all of her pay docked on a regular basis. It was a toss-up whether or not she earned it or if Cruger was just doing it to make sure she stayed at SPD. It was probably the latter.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm almost done with the poem."

Syd's jaw dropped open. "You didn't actually take that seriously, did you?"

He shrugged again.

"Is it about chickens and robots having a party and eating pickles and dancing?"

It was Sky's turn to gape. "No," he replied shortly, refraining from rolling his eyes. "Since it'll be done it a few days, I was wondering if you wanted to do something on Friday."

"Like what?"

"I don't know."

Syd looked torn between being amused and horrified. He knew it wasn't romantic or well-thought out, but it wasn't like he had time for a girlfriend or dates earlier. Syd wasn't as superficial as she seemed – and he fervently hoped that she wouldn't run screaming at the vague date proposal.

"There's a couple of movies I'd like to see," she finally replied. "Plus there's a really good ice cream place near the theater." She paused and gave him an appraising look. "If you think you can pollute your body with sugar."

"You'd be surprised what you can live through."

Syd stared at him, before breaking off in hysterical laughter.

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last two chapters - we're heading back into the realm of the SPD characters once more. Thanks for sticking with me! Kaidence Ledger beta read this chapter and the last one, so I'm back to having a beta reader, however temporary. Jepoliant will be back after the end of camp. Thanks to both of them for putting up with me. With that, everyone have a great week! 


	15. Truth and Consequences III

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

**Chapter Fourteen: Truth and Consequences III**

Friday nights at the academy were almost as nice as the time after lights-out. Everyone emptied out of the place and went somewhere. The local movie theater had a special cheap rate for SPD personnel, so most of the younger cadets went there. For everyone over twenty-one, there was a plethora of bars and clubs. The only people left here were the people with the evening shift and they tended to keep to the command center and the security camera room. The SPD Academy was suddenly quiet and peaceful.

Conner smiled to himself as he poured two glasses of wine in the small kitchenette of his apartment. There was a time when he would have been right there with the rest of them, probably underage and with a fake ID to get into the clubs. In fact, he had a fake ID for most of high school and on into college before he actually did turn twenty-one and didn't need on anymore.

The apartment was pretty quiet as well. Madeline and Christina were in bed after watching their ridiculous movie. Both of them liked Kira, making their relatively new relationship easier. At least Kira knew what a loud, wild woman Christina was. That girl made more noise than one child had a right to. He supposed she made up for Madeline, who was overly quiet. He often had to bite his tongue and not ask to her to be like her sister. He and his brother had been two peas in a pod, so there was no asking someone to be like someone else when he had been growing up.

He moved from the kitchen to the living room, handing Kira one of the glasses. She was sitting on one of the couch, her feet tucked up underneath her. She accepted the glass with a smile as he sat down next to her.

"How was the simulator training?" she asked.

Conner rolled his eyes. "Harrowing."

Kira grinned. "That a big word for an ex-jock."

"Yeah – and I know what it means." He waggled his eyebrows. Kira just laughed, resting her hand on his thigh. He let out a long breath. "Seriously, though," he continued. "I just feel like something isn't right here. This is the third time in a row we've been at the simulator with Cruger and Sky has come away with a bloody nose." He raked a hand through his hair. "It just doesn't make any sense. I mean Doctor O made us hone our powers, but not to the point where we got physically ill from it."

"Is Sky all right?"

Conner shrugged. "I hope so – he had a date tonight."

Kira looked thoughtful. "And to think – I almost joined this place as an officer."

He gave her an interested look. "Really?"

"Yeah. I didn't want to be an officer – I applied for the teacher's job. The department chair got to me and hired me before Cruger realized I had powers."

"Good thing for you – if Cruger had you as an officer, you wouldn't be able to talk after the training exercises."

Kira shuddered dramatically. Conner laughed. "There might be a way to figure out what's been going on here, though," she mused.

"Oh yeah?"

"Doctor O is head of the Counter Terrorist Unit in LA, now. He might be able to dig up some information on SPD and we wouldn't be able to get a hold of through normal channels." She paused. "And Ethan's with the GSA now. Both of them can work on getting information about this place."

Conner nodded. Trust Kira to know where the others were and what they were doing currently. He wasn't surprised at where Ethan was, but Doctor Oliver? The man had gone from being a paleontologist to working for a top-security government agency? It made sense in a perverse kind of way.

"So who was Sky going on a date with?" Kira asked, effectively changing the subject. She had a knack for knowing when a particular subject needed to rest.

"Syd," he replied. "It's been coming for a while." He paused. "Something about needing to finish a poem first."

Kira smiled. "Did you tell them about your date?"

He rolled his eyes. "Please. They don't think old people go on dates."

The former Yellow Ranger just shook her head. "You're not old, Conner. And I'm going to forget that you just insinuated that I'm old."

"I don't know," he replied softly. "Sometimes I just don't think I can help these kids at all. It was all such a long time ago – with the gems and all."

Kira set her glass of wine on the coffee table, taking his from him and putting it in the same place. She reached up and gently cupped his face in her palms. "You were a great ranger, Conner," she whispered. "A little bit of an airhead, but a great ranger." He opened his mouth to speak, but she laid an index finger across his lips. "And now you have experience. You've had time to grow up and become more… humbled."

She leaned forward and gently brushed her lips to his. He responded and the kisses grew deeper, more passionate. They had a handful of dates when one of the other B-Squad rangers volunteered to watch the girls – and Kira had been over for dinner a lot, but they hadn't crossed the line to become lovers. Her past was almost unknown to him, but there was time to find out. He remembered the girl she had been and he knew the woman that she had become.

Kira pulled away from him, her finger brushing his left hand. He hadn't worn his wedding ring for a long time – in fact, he wasn't sure that it had survived the moves. There was so much baggage from that and it wouldn't be fair to burden Kira with it. She deserved so much more than what he had to give her.

"Conner?" She looked concerned.

"I'm fine," he replied hoarsely, opening his arms to her. She snuggled up against him with a contented sigh. He closed his eyes, just happy for the physical contact. He had always craved a human touch his entire life – and he had never been sure why.

How much longer would he be able to keep up this relationship with Kira before the wall he had erected around his heart came crashing down?

* * *

Bridge yawned. It was well past lights-out for most of the academy. He wasn't sure what gave him the brilliant idea to volunteer to help Kat with some new morpher prototypes, but he seriously regretted it now. The nightmare had been haunting him more frequently lately, but there was something there that hadn't been before – a woman and a village would come into sight just before he woke up. The woman was a vague outline with quite a lot of brown hair, but she was protecting him from the dark shape that he was running from. It didn't make sense – but it did ensure that he didn't get to sleep at night and that Sky was kept up most of the night when he would start talking in his sleep.

He put down his tools and rubbed his eyes. He and Kat had been working in silence for the last hour. Ordinarily, that would have bothered him and he would have started blathering on about _something_ just to fill the silence. Now, he wanted some time to be alone with his thoughts. What did that dream mean? Was it even a dream?

There were thoughts and feelings he could make out from Olive. He was psychometric, but the older the touch, the more vague the memory. Most of the older memories on an object were just feelings. The oldest memories on Olive involved intense love and caring. He always went to the oldest memories with that stuffed animal, knowing they came from a time before adopted parents and SPD. It was the same with Z's blanket. The oldest memories were just feelings from someone other than Z. Someone – presumably their parents – had loved them so much that the feeling had been transferred onto their toys and blankets.

Paris had that weekend project of looking for her parents. He wanted to ask her if she could look for his parents as well, but wasn't sure how to go about it. She would probably want to know why he wasn't doing it himself. Of course, she had also entertained an idea about him to Syd who told Sky who ended up telling him. Through their training, each of them were able to distinguish between humans from Earth and humans from the Outer Worlds – places such as KO 35 and Mirinoi. Kerovans and Mirinites were the most common on Earth. Kerovans were each telekinetic. The Mirinites blended in more, but each was in tune with nature and the callings of the earth. Other traits were there, but it made him wonder. Paris had said he struck her as a Mirinite raised as an Earthling. His birth certificate claimed he had been born on Earth – his adopted parents insisted he had been born on Earth from Earthling parents. But he still wondered… Was it possible for him to be from Mirinoi? No one could know for sure.

Nothing was certain…

"You all right?"

Bridge started at the sound of Kat's voice. He looked down at the small screwdriver in his hand – that had been doing nothing for a while. The morpher case was still unfinished on the work table. "I'm fine," he replied softly. "I'm just thinking."

"You looked pretty worried." She paused and gave him a scrutinizing stare. "It's pretty late. We can leave this for now and finish tomorrow."

He nodded, absently putting the tools back in their cases.

"Can I ask you something?" Kat questioned. He looked up at her, nodding. "What are you thinking about?"

"A lot of stuff." He paused and took a deep breath. Kat's aura was clean, for the most part. It didn't have the swirls of regret and doubt and anger that ran deeply through Cruger's. He trusted her more than their leader. "I've been having a nightmare and Paris thinks I was born on Mirinoi and I'm worried about Z and Sky and their training—" It all came out in one fast breath. He had been holding it in – and now it spilled out.

"Doggie shouldn't be pushing Sky and Z," she agreed. "And there's not much that can be done about nightmares other than sleeping pills." She paused and looked concerned. "But why does Paris think you were born on Mirinoi?"

He shrugged. "All my official documents say I'm completely Earthling. She says that my power is an extension of natural born Mirinite powers."

"Paris doesn't exactly have the training to know that," Kat responded, but her voice was shaky and her green eyes had gotten wide.

Bridge gave her a concerned look. "She also has this theory that all of us are related somehow – all of us with powers."

Kat's complexion grew pale. "Theory?" she asked weakly.

He nodded. "All of the files from 2001 are under lock and key and that was the year that five of the six of us were placed up for adoption." He paused. "And we're the only six on Earth with natural powers – powers we were born with."

"There were – experiments in 2001 that had to be kept classified," Kat agreed. "The people involved in those experiments had their DNA altered because of exposure to the chemicals." She let out a long breath.

Bridge gasped – realizing the full implications. If the reason the files from 2001 were locked up was because of the indirect results of the experiments – them – then it would stand to reason that it was being held from them because of the terms of each of their adoptions or placements in group homes.

"I have to go," he said quickly, bolting from the room to tell the others.

* * *

"Doggie, they know! It's only a matter of time before they put the pieces together!"

Kat stared at the commander of SPD, her green eyes pleading with him. The dog remained silent and passive, his eyes staring at a spot beyond her left shoulder. She wanted to shake him – wanted to scream at him. The repercussions of his past actions were starting to come full circle. He had gotten what he wanted, but the terrible price was coming along with it. One of them would put the pieces together. Oh – they wouldn't be able to find out their parents or their roots, but the facts they could find would lead them straight to Cruger and implicate him as the instigator in all of this.

"Paris knows that Bridge is Mirinite," she hissed. She shook her head. "I'm amazed that no one has picked it up sooner. She also knows that they all have to be connected. Bridge knows that their parents were involved in the experiments in 2001."

She left out the fact that she had given Bridge the information he needed to draw that particular conclusion. Doggie didn't need to know that. Besides, it would only anger him and hold dire consequences for her – mostly being jailed or banished from SPD where she would be unable to drop the facts that they needed. She might have played a part in the abductions, but she was willing to face the consequences it held for her – she wanted them to find out and wanted them to overthrow Doggie and run her out of town.

But she couldn't tell them anything – the one other person she had come to trust those fourteen years ago had been Eric Myers. He couldn't tell them anything either. Not unless she left something out as a hint, something that Doggie would think of, something that someone like Paris would pick up on – she was the one that guessed Bridge's true heritage.

The Mirinoi media files…

"It doesn't matter," Doggie said. "They can't find anything out until the Troovian invasion is over. They won't find anything."

It was pointless to argue with him. Kat saluted, finding a bitter irony in it, and left the room. She had to leave a few well-planted seeds for one of the children to stumble across. She wished she could tell them, but she couldn't. They had to find out on their own in order for it to be effective. Doggie would just silence her and claim it all to be lies, but if Paris found out…

There was a newspaper article from Mirinoi she needed to find.

* * *

"Our real parents were involved in experiments here in 2001?"

Syd gave Bridge an incredulous look. It was the same theory that Paris had proposed, but he had proof. He said that Kat had told him. She frowned, shifting against Sky, aware of the way he sat close to her but didn't touch her. Z was sitting on Bridge's bed next to him, her arm around his waist.

"That can't be it," Sky said.

"Why?" Bridge asked.

"You're forgetting something," the Blue Ranger responded. "I was born in 2000. If my real parents were involved in experiments in 2001, then it wouldn't have affected me. But I have powers anyways. How do we explain that?"

"I don't know," the Green Ranger faltered.

"Maybe your parents subjected you to genetic testing," Z suggested.

Sky snorted. "I'd like to think that someone wouldn't do that to a baby."

Bridge looked crestfallen. "It works for five of the six of us," he commented sadly. "I just didn't think that—"

"Just forget it, Bridge," Sky interrupted. "It was a good idea."

"I don't think we should abandon it," Syd said quickly, speaking up for the first time that night. "Maybe we need to be looking somewhere else."

"Where else?" Z said, her voice fierce. "That was the one idea – the one lead that we've had since Paris dragged all of us into her project." She shook her head. "I think we should follow that lead. It works for most of us, just like the adoption year of 2006 works for most of us."

Syd braved a glance at Sky. His expression was neutral, but she could see the pain and isolation evident in those blue eyes. He was the one factor that didn't match the others – his official adoption took place in 2005, although his adopted father had been his guardian since 2003. He had been born in 2000. Why didn't the facts line up for Sky? There had to be an explanation for it and Syd hoped that it would reveal itself if they followed this lead.

She took Sky's hand, threading her fingers through his. He needed friends and relationships – more that he was willing to admit, if he admitted it at all. Bridge knew, but Bridge knew things about all of them that was fuel for the tabloids. Sky grasped her hand tightly. He had spent so much time putting up walls – and the remnants of those walls remained. He felt it when things like this came up.

Z was scrutinizing them. "I think Bridge and I are going to take a walk," she announced. It was after lights-out, meaning the halls would be quiet and devoid of life. She grabbed Bridge's arm and hauled him out of the room, ignoring his sputtered protests.

"Are you all right?" Syd asked after the door slid shut.

"I'm fine," he answered tightly.

"Really?"

Sky sighed, turning his gaze to her. "I'm the odd one out – and there's not an explanation for it."

"Maybe there is and we haven't found it yet."

He was silent, but the logic wasn't enough for him. None of this made sense to any of them and it wasn't going to. She gently traced the soft, leather of his necklace, her fingers going to the small silver pendants – one was a small sun, while the other was a cloud. It was high time for a subject change. Something would come up – she'd have to relate all this to Paris so they would incorporate it into their search.

"Who got you the necklace?" she asked.

"Taylor."

He didn't elaborate. Syd gave him a bored look.

"My dad's girlfriend," he clarified.

"I didn't know your dad had a girlfriend."

Sky looked uncomfortable. "Uh – it's kind of an on and off thing." He paused, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. "She thought if I had something like this, I might lighten up."

Syd smiled. "So what's with the charms?"

"Sun and clouds are in the sky – Sky." He shrugged. "It's kind of cheesy."

"I think it's cute."

"So did Taylor. My dad thought it was the funniest thing he had heard yet."

"I don't know," Syd replied. "My real parents had to have had a sense of humor, because they named me and my brother and sister after cities."

Sky thought for a moment and then smiled. "I don't think I would have thought of that if you hadn't pointed it out to me."

Syd just smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist, snuggling up against him. He returned the gesture, holding her close, his cheek resting on the top of her head. Maybe he had to stop putting up the walls between himself and others. Maybe he needed to put up the walls in order to protect the people he loved. Syd breathed in his scent, realizing that there were good walls and bad walls.

* * *

Conner walked towards the back of the darkened apartment. Kira had gone back to her apartment and the only thing left for him to do was to go to bed. He paused at the door of his daughters' bedroom. He had a steady job – and there was a roof over their heads, food on the table, clothes and enough money for the luxuries they hadn't had for so long. But it came with a price. He was a ranger and worked odd hours – meaning he didn't have time to spend with his family.

He entered the dark room. Both of the girls were asleep and breathing evenly. The beds were bunk beds. Christina was on the top bunk – she was buried under her blankets and surrounded by an army of stuffed animals. Madeline was below her, sleeping more sedately with one teddy bear.

Had his daughters become strangers to him?

Between work and this relationship with Kira, had he forgotten his daughters?

No – there had to be something he could do about it. Tomorrow was Saturday and a free day for the B-Squad. Barring emergency and disaster, he had nothing to do. He had to spend tomorrow with the girls, do something. He was paying the price. Did he have to trade a relationship with his daughters for their well-being?

It didn't make sense.

And he was slowly losing his heart.

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** Another update within a week! Thanks to everyone who has been sticking with me. Camp will be over after this week and I'll have the first two or three chapters of the next section to my beta readers by then as well. (Thanks to Kaidence Ledger and Jepoliant for beta reading!) Also, the reviews from the last chapter made me get a huge, goofy grin on my face. Thank you so much! I hope you continue to read and review enthusiastically! 


	16. Unbelieving I

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

_When the last eagle flies over the last crumbling mountain  
And the last lion roars at the last dusty fountain  
In the shadow of the forest, though she may be old and worn  
They will stare unbelieving at the last unicorn_

**Chapter Fifteen: Unbelieving I**

"So, is it just me or have we had no free time lately?"

Bridge looked up as Z walked into the lounge. It was late - late enough that they were the only ones in the room and they had just gotten in from their shift. Syd was over by the food replicator, picking out something to eat. Sky was leaning forward over the sink near the café tables, holding tissues to his nose, trying to stop his most recent nosebleed. He didn't understand why Sky had such visible symptoms from being overworked, but none of the rest of them did.

"We haven't had any free time," Bridge agreed, picking up the comic book that had just come in the mail for him.

Sky said something, but it was muffled due to the tissues.

"You should go to the infirmary," Syd told him, picking up her food from the replicator. She was facing Sky and looking worried. "They can stop nosebleeds in a second."

The Blue Ranger didn't reply, just leveled his best glare at her. Syd gave him a cheeky smile and sank down into one of the couches. Z sat down next to Bridge, leaning her head on his shoulder, shifting so she was comfortable. None of them had any free time recently, due to the extra work load. Gruumm had started pulling out his old generals from the invasion and destruction of Sirius. Aside from putting Cruger in a bad mood, it was creating a larger workload for them and they didn't have time for anything, including each other.

The strain was showing. Sky got nosebleeds more and more frequently, while he had begun to project anxiety in his sleep - something he hadn't previously done. Conner was on edge and got immediately defensive when anyone asked after his family - he hadn't had much free time to spend with his daughters or his girlfriend. All of them were tired and the new relationships they had established were at a stalemate, since there was no time to advance them or help them grow.

Of course, Syd was using Sky's nosebleeds as an indirect way to coddle him. It was amusing to watch her take care of him. She had set her food down and gotten up, going to Sky. Currently, she had one hand holding a cold cloth in place on the back of his neck and the other hand pinching the bridge of his nose. Bridge wrapped an arm around Z. It was entirely too much that they were expected to take on.

"Could we take a few leave days?" Z murmured.

"We could try," Syd responded. "But I don't think it will have much effect."

"We just have to be sneaky," Bridge added.

"One of my aunts has a cabin up in the woods," Syd said in a musing tone of voice, as Sky straightened up, grabbing a handful of fresh tissues. "I bet if we had the cabin all lined up for a weekend and agreed to have our morphers so we could be contacted in an emergency, Cruger would let us go." She paused. "And Kat does have the teleportation system up and running, so she could teleport us if it was really important."

Sky whirled around to stare at her. There was surprise and pride in his eyes as he gazed at his girlfriend. He muttered something.

"I'll go call my aunt," Syd said. It was obvious that Sky's nosebleed as subsided enough for both of them to realize it was fading. Syd handed Sky the damp cloth and left the lounge and her food.

"Who'd have thought?" Z muttered.

Sky sank down onto one of the couches. He shrugged. Bridge gave him a scrutinizing stare. He really did need to go to the infirmary for the nosebleeds. If they had a record of it, Cruger would be forced to lay off by the medical staff. Perhaps… Bridge let out a long breath, the beginnings of a headache straining his temples.

"The question is - can we pull it off?"

Bridge turned to Sky. Something was happening and he wasn't sure what it was. The same warning in Sky and Z's auras was still there, but something else was happening. He couldn't see into the future, but he could sense the building tension and emotions - from Cruger and Kat and Paris. They were the triangle that needed to be looked out for. Cruger was hiding something huge. Kat was trying to keep the peace. Paris was digging into places that someone didn't want her to go.

But what did it mean?

He sighed. If they managed to pull off the weekend away thing, he was not going to worry about this and just concentrate on renewing energy in a place away from SPD.

* * *

"What is this?"

Doggie came into the room and threw a form on her desk. Kat looked up from her computer, glancing at the form, knowing what it was. She had been there when Conner had turned it in and requested that Cruger contact him if he had any questions.

"A request for some leave days," she replied mildly.

"Four of the five B-Squad rangers have requested the same weekend off."

Kat would dearly have loved to ask, 'so?', but kept her comments to herself. Unofficially, she was the second-in-command at SPD. It was more for the fact that Doggie didn't quite trust her and wanted her placated than anything else. Fear was what ruled all of them - her, the parents… Doggie kept them all afraid of what he might do to those six children.

"This is unacceptable," Doggie continued. "I cannot have the entire squad going off."

"I don't know why you're telling me," Kat said in an even tone. "You authorize all time off. McKnight also put a request on there to contact him if you had questions."

Doggie shook his head and left the lab. Kat let out a long breath. Something was about to crack - Paris was close to finding what she needed. She had already figured out that Bridge was at least partially Mirinite without anyone's help. Time… it was the one thing she desperately needed that was running out. How long could this charade hold up before something gave away?

Not long enough.

* * *

The door chimes in the apartment sounded. Conner paused from what he had been doing in the kitchen and went to the door. The sauce that was heating would be all right for a few moments. He knew that most of the food here was done by a food replicator, but he still found pleasure in cooking his own food. It gave him something to do and something to give the girls that wasn't completely synthetic. He wished… no - now was not the time to think about that. Madeline was sitting at the table doing her homework. Christina was running ahead of him to answer the door.

"I'll get it!" she cried, pressing the button that allowed the door to slide open.

Conner stopped short. Sky was out there. The rest of the B-Squad hardly visited him outside of their duties. They left him alone. He couldn't remember if they had ever come to his apartment to see him. It was part of the gap he felt between himself and them - their lifestyles and expectations were so different. They were young and had dreams of grandeur. He just wanted to survive and support his daughters.

"Hi, Sky!" Christina said enthusiastically.

Sky smiled at her. "Hi. Is your dad home?"

"Right here." Conner placed a hand on Christina's shoulder and steered her back towards the kitchen. "Go set the table," he told her.

"But I want to-"

"Now."

Christina stuck out her lower lip. "All right," she grumbled, moving back towards the kitchen. Conner watched her for a moment as she pulled a chair from the kitchen table and dragged it to the cupboards so she could reach the plates.

"What's up?" he asked Sky, stepping back to allow the Blue Ranger to enter the apartment.

"Just thought I'd let you know that our leave request got approved."

Conner nodded. "I'd heard that." He had also had to argue with Cruger in order for it to happen. As the Red Ranger, he had enough influence to convince Cruger that he would be all right for a weekend - and had methods for getting the others back in a hurry - that the dog had eventually agreed. He also suspected that Kat had something to do with it, but he wasn't going to dwell on that.

"Paris is supposed to be reassigned for the weekend to help you out."

"Lucky me." He had seen Paris around and had heard more about her reputation than he would ordinarily have liked to, but hadn't had the pleasure of meeting her. This weekend was going to be interesting if nothing else. Normally, the B-Squad formally had the weekend off, but were on call in case something happened. He was going to endeavor to spend the weekend with his daughters - but he had to make a few phone calls first.

Now this begged the question of why Sky was standing here.

"Did you need something else?"

Sky took a breath. "Thanks," he said softly.

Conner frowned. "For what?"

"For sticking up for us and making sure that Cruger cleared the request - you didn't have to do that."

_It was something I wouldn't have done._

The Red Ranger could hear the unspoken comment about Sky and the way he would have run the squad, had he been made the Red Ranger. It was a mark of how far Sky had come, that he could admit to himself what his shortcomings were. For him, ranger colors were not relevant. He hadn't gotten to choose his original color - and he hadn't been the leader despite the tradition associated with that color. It made him wonder if Sky would have felt differently if the power source had chosen them - hadn't been man-made and assigned by a dog.

He shrugged. "You're my team and you guys need a break." He paused and gave Sky a scrutinizing stare. There were dark circles under the Blue Ranger's eyes and his skin was pale. "Besides, _you_ need a break." He let out a long breath. "I'll have to see what I can do about altering our training schedule to something less ridiculous."

Sky smiled wryly. "Overthrow Cruger and that might change."

Facetious insubordination coming from the previous stickler for the rules. Conner grinned. "I might be able to arrange that." He shook his head. "Just have fun this weekend and I'll make sure that no one here contacts you unless it's the end of the world. However, irritating relations, I can do nothing about."

Sky chuckled. "My dad doesn't call me unless it's important - and nothing that important ever happens."

Conner shook his head again as Sky said his good-byes and disappeared down the hall. He wondered about Sky sometimes - what possessed Eric Myers, who was still single and had been single his entire life, to adopt a child. Sky had said Eric had been his guardian since he was three and he didn't remember his real parents. It didn't make sense and he wanted to ask questions, but it didn't seem right, marching up to Eric's front door, introducing himself and then demanding explanations. Eric had to have his reasons and that should be more than enough. Why, then, did it make him uneasy?

Something was going on at this place, something that somebody had gone to a lot of trouble to cover up and keep quiet. Conner wasn't sure what it was, but he had a feeling that it involved the B-Squad and their backgrounds. If he and Paris had to go into action this weekend, he could ask her what she knew.

"The table is set!"

He turned and raised an eyebrow at Christina, who had set the table around Madeline. His daughters did not have the kind of superpowers that he did. The gem had given him the powers superficially and done nothing to the genes that he passed on to his girls. In a way, he was glad that they didn't have powers. He thought back to Sam - the little boy who also had superpowers. Cruger hadn't explained why that kid had powers, only that he was the last one on Earth that needed to come to SPD. The kid was ten - and already in training to become an officer and hone his power. He did not want that kind of fate to happen to his daughters - making him eternally grateful that both of them were normal.

* * *

"This is awesome!"

Bridge was bouncing around in the back-seat of Sky's car. Sky glanced at him in the rearview mirror, raising an eyebrow at him. Syd was sitting in the front seat, owing to the fact that one of the rules in his car was the person with the most seniority got to sit up front. He was the only B-Squad member, besides Conner, with a car, so he became the default transportation for the weekend. He just hoped that Syd knew where she was going.

Z was looking through the mini-discs he had in his car. He didn't really care which one she picked, since he could stand the ones in his car. Now something else - that was unacceptable. The other rule in his car was that the driver picks the music - and since he was always the driver, it worked out well.

"This one." Z handed the disc to Syd who slipped it into the player.

"I can't believe we pulled this off," Syd muttered.

"I think we owe all credit to Conner," Z responded. "He was the one that justified the request for leave time."

"And Paris ought to be happy that she gets to spend the weekend in the command center and not doing her rounds."

"I get the feeling McKnight is going to kill her or love having her around," Sky commented, more to himself than any of the others.

Syd giggled. "Cruger told her once that he would give her a D-minus for efficiency, but an A for dramatic timing."

"So she did teach you something."

The Pink Ranger punched him lightly in the upper arm. He didn't reply, just smiled to himself as he steered the car onto the freeway. The thing about efficiency and dramatic timing seemed to describe Syd well. She would come to them at the worst times and remember something pertinent about a case, but it would always be a moment when the drama was at its peak. Something seemed to run in the Drew family. And that was something that Cruger would say to someone, especially a repeat offender like Paris.

In fact, Cruger had told Bridge something similar at one point in time. He got a F for memory, but an A for memory retrieval at just the right moment. When Cruger wasn't on edge about something, he could be rather amusing to work with. Of course, most people said his anxiety was due to the fact that his home planet had been destroyed and the SPD there had been unable to stop it.

"Take I-5 north," Syd said to Sky.

"Check this out," Bridge said, looking at a page in his most recent computer magazine. Z leaned over and looked at the page as he explained something about it. It was just as well - Sky was lost most of the time when Bridge started on something beyond the basics in computer.

He glanced over at Syd. She grinned at him. "What?"

"This cabin better be worth the hype," he replied in a neutral tone.

"It is." She paused. "Of course, I don't see what the rest of you could find lacking about it." There was a teasing note in her voice.

"Just because the rest of us aren't billionaires, doesn't mean that we don't appreciate elevated living when it presents itself."

Syd rolled her eyes. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"True - I don't."

"Hey, Sky," Bridge called from behind him. "I could upgrade your computer to a-"

"Whatever, Bridge," he interrupted.

"No appreciation for technology," the Green Ranger muttered.

"I appreciate technology - when it works."

"Let it go, Bridge," Syd interjected, twisting around in her seat to face the Green Ranger. "You can't get him to change his mind about anything."

Sky didn't reply, thinking back to that hideous poem he had composed. Between writing really bad poetry, people with bad feelings, Gruumm and all the meddling that Paris seemed to be known for, he was more than ready for a weekend off.

He shouldn't be worried.

But he was.

* * *

"This is nice - I would have stayed on the ranger track if I had known I would get to hang out in here most of the time."

Conner rolled his eyes and took a seat at the main computer console in the command center. Paris was sitting at the terminal next to him, dragging up the files on the cases that the B-Squad was currently working on. She also had a shoulder bag with a fistful of glamour magazines and nail polish - something about testing nail polish colors in their free time.

Hopefully, this would be the last time over the weekend he had to sit in here with Paris. It was Friday afternoon - the others had taken off, but his shift technically had not ended, so he was stuck in the command center with Paris until dinnertime. Then, he would be able to move forward with his weekend plans to spend time with his family.

"Didn't you get thrown off the ranger track?" he asked.

"Technicality," she replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. "It was my fault I got thrown off. If I had behaved, I wouldn't have been moved."

_Isn't that the truth?_ Conner thought.

Paris was leaning over the console, pushing the buttons to bring up the files and examine them. Her blonde hair was unbound and fell over her face. There was no mistaking that she and Syd were sisters - but where Syd looked like any normal beauty queen, Paris reminded him strongly of someone. Who? It wasn't someone he had met, but someone he remembered seeing in a picture. Who?

He could ask Kira - she might know. Kira… he wanted the relationship that he had with her, but was afraid. Too much had happened to him and too much was tumbling around his mind. His squad would need him soon, but he wasn't sure what for. He hated having a bad feeling about something and not being able to identify it. When he had been a ranger the first time and the Shield of Triumph called to him, Doctor O had said that only a person in harmony with his powers could have summoned it. The underlying message had been that _he_ had been the person in tune with his powers like that.

"They actually assign you bank robbers?"

Paris interrupted his thoughts. He glanced at the file she was perusing. "Intergalactic bank robbers," he replied.

She shook her head. "We're all trained to deal with aliens. Why didn't they send the picture out on the officer links? We could have found him already."

In other words, something like that was too trivial for the rangers. At least that was what Paris seemed to think. Then again, she was an officer - a police officer specializing in bringing in alien forces. It gave a new meaning to the term 'illegal aliens.'

"I don't know," Conner replied and it was true. He didn't know.

She shrugged. "Cruger prides himself on his precious rangers and he overestimates the danger presented with certain cases. Things that the rangers never should be bothered with are kept away from the officers." She paused. "Something has to be done about the communication problem here."

"I thought you didn't want to be here."

Paris shrugged again. "I don't have much choice - and I'm trying to be nice so that my pay isn't docked anymore."

Technically, he and Paris were the same rank, but he was slightly ahead of her because he was a ranger. He had heard Sky and Bridge talking about the theories surrounding their parents. All their parents had been involved in experiments here in 2001. All of them had been given up for adoption in 2006. But the facts didn't line up for Sky.

Paris shut down the files and pulled out a magazine. "What do you think?" she asked, showing him a page in the magazine. "Passion Pink or Fire Engine Red?"

It was going to be a long weekend.

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** My apologies for taking so long with this update - the end of my summer job was nuts and then I had to get myself organized here and get this section out to my beta readers. Thanks to Kaidence Ledger for beta fishing... er... reading this chapter. And thanks to all my reviewers for hanging in there - the support has been amazing and I really appreciate it. :) Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this piece so far! 


	17. Unbelieving II

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

**Chapter Sixteen: Unbelieving II**

The sun was setting casting a golden glow over the field that was the proverbial backyard of the academy. The playground was out here and one could make out the track in the distance and other training fields that the cadets used. Squad leaders sometimes brought their squads here for meetings or group training.

Conner smiled to himself. He had brought his squad here on a few occasions - mostly when they had to work on trust exercises. He knew a few of those from when he had been an active soccer player - things like human knots, sitting in a circle while in each other's laps and things that involved blindfolds. Lately, there hadn't been a need to do those kinds of exercises, since the others had managed to pair off into relationships. He thought to Kira and the fledgling relationship they had - how it never progressed beyond casual kisses, because he was afraid for it to. Kira was patient, but he didn't know how much longer any of it could last. He was a coward - he had been a coward back in high school and he was a coward now.

"Kick the ball, Daddy!"

He grinned, throwing the soccer ball up into the air and then using his head to knock it down the field to where Madeline and Christina were. Christina was running around like a crazed Tasmanian devil, trying to get to the ball before her sister. Madeline was still, her eyes never leaving the smooth arch the ball cut through the air. She had learned a long time ago that stealth required concentration, not immediate action. Madeline would have the soccer ball in her possession before Christina was even sure what had happened. She might have been the quieter one of the two girls, but she was the one more suited to sports.

The prediction had been correct. Christina kept running in a predictable pattern, while Madeline stood still, cutting to the ball at the last minute. She grounded it easily and dribbled it over to the makeshift goal. Not bad for a nine-year-old.

"Hey!" Christina squawked.

"It was fair," Conner told her, stopping any forthcoming protesting about the unfairness of the situation and life in general. Christina was a drama queen - and it was obvious where that particular trait came from. He saw a lot of himself in Madeline, but could see so much of his ex-wife in Christina - sometimes that frightened him.

Madeline caught the ball and turned to him. She didn't make noise, but there was a huge grin of triumph on her small face and her hazel eyes were alight with joy. Conner returned the smile, jogging over to the pair of them. Madeline, at least, knew how much he missed playing soccer. He had given it up in light of the divorce, ignoring the fact that a couple of teams would want him for a coach. It had been a self-inflicted punishment, not allowing himself to have the game that he had loved.

"Good," he told her, wishing that SPD had sports teams for the kids. It had everything but sports. The students and cadets were expected to enroll in the SPD-training programs if they wanted to do something physical. He would volunteer to coach some junior-sports teams if he had a more predictable schedule.

"Hey!"

He turned towards the familiar voice as Madeline picked up the ball. Kira was striding across the field to them, still dressed in her teachers' clothes. She had a soft smile on her face. Something inside Conner clenched at the same time that something unclenched.

"Hi Miss Kira!" Christina called, trying to get Madeline off guard enough to drop the soccer ball. However, Madeline expected that and just hoisted the ball higher and out of her sister's reach.

"Hi guys," she replied, closing the space between herself and Conner and kissing his cheek. "I was wondering if you guys had any plans for tonight," she said in an undertone so that only he could hear it.

"What did you have in mind?" he asked with a smile.

"I think there's a movie that the girls would like."

"Or is it a movie you want to see, but need a cover story for?"

Kira grinned, planting a light kiss on his lips. "It's the kind of movie I would have dragged you to in high school just so you would be horrified, never mind the cover story."

Conner returned the smile, before turning to the girls. "You guys want to go see a movie tonight?" he asked them.

Madeline nodded, while Christina turned and stopped jumping up to the soccer ball. "Yah!" his youngest daughter shrieked.

"You wanted to take them," Conner whispered to Kira.

The kiss on his cheek and heel in his foot was response enough.

* * *

"Somehow, it doesn't surprise me that you have eccentric relatives."

Syd tried not to smile in a self-satisfied way. The 'cabin' was more of a manor house in the middle of nowhere. The backdoors opened up to a large backyard with a sparkling lake. The sun came up over the lake - she and the twins had come here when they were younger and on family vacations. Aunt Rose was definitely handy to have around in situations like this. It was still slightly amazing that they had pulled this off - even with the intervention from Conner and the possible interference that Kat must have run.

Z was leaning against the granite counter in the kitchen, while Bridge was poking around the refrigerator, through the food that all of them had just put in there. Syd shrugged in response to the question. It wasn't quite worth it to argue about the oddness of her family.

"I have thought that was Bridge," Z continued.

Bridge resurfaced from the fridge. "My family is normal and boring."

"Figures," Z muttered.

She glanced from the kitchen through the arch that opened into the living room. Sky was sitting on the couch, fiddling with his morpher. Syd smiled, pushed herself off the counter and went into the room. She sat down on the couch next to Sky.

"Can't let go for one weekend?"

He glanced at her and glared. "I've just got a bad feeling about this."

Syd laughed and playfully punched his arm. "Bridge is the one that is supposed to have the bad feelings about things - not you."

"Very funny." He paused. "I think we should contact Conner to make sure that everything is all right."

"He's probably at the movies by now," Syd argued. "If you're paranoid then call Paris. She's probably taking the standby because it amuses her."

Sky continued to glare until she kissed his cheek. His expression went from anxious to embarrassed in one motion. His cheeks flushed pink when Z produced an impressive catcall from the kitchen.

"Lighten up!" she whispered in his ear.

He went back to glaring. A few weeks ago, he might have just gotten up and walked out of the room, but he stayed. Syd grinned at him, threading one hand through his and taking his morpher away from him with the other. She set it on the coffee table and gave him a sidelong look. He returned the glance, his blue eyes holding a mixture of amusement and annoyance. At least his eyes didn't get glazed when he listened to her talk - her last boyfriend had done that when she started talking about clothes. Sky just listened - whether or not he had any idea what she was talking about was debatable.

"It's going to bother you if you don't check in, isn't it?"

Sky nodded. Syd laughed and threw his morpher at him. He caught it in a fumbling gesture uncharacteristic for him and opened it, punching a button for communication. "Sky to Paris," he said into it. "Just checking in."

"Go away, Tate," Paris' voice came over the morpher. "I got this for now."

"What are you doing?" Syd asked her.

"Deciding whether I should wear red or pink nail polish with my new dress."

"Does it matter? Aren't all your dresses black?" Sky asked. Syd elbowed him in the ribs. He winced and rubbed his ribs, but didn't say anything.

"Good joke," Paris replied dryly. "Just go back to amusing yourselves this weekend, because that's what I'm going to do. Over and out." The communication line on the morpher shut down.

"See? No problem."

Sky sighed. "I guess."

Syd smiled again and snuggled up against him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, holding her close. She knew why Bridge and Z wanted to come up here for the weekend - and it wasn't entirely to get some rest. She and Z had accosted Paris earlier that week, asking her what she thought about them 'stepping up the relationship with their boyfriends.' Her older sister's only response had been that it was a decision that they had to make on their own. She couldn't help them.

It had taken a lot of internal debating, but Syd had decided to wait. Sky knew that and didn't seem to mind - not that he would have dared express anything to the contrary. She had a feeling he was just as scared as she was, but wouldn't show it. Bridge and Z, on the other hand… It would be Bridge's first time - that much was obvious, but Z had been unclear about what her life on the streets had been like. Syd was pretty much convinced that she had spent some of that time as a prostitute.

Not that it mattered, each of them would do what he or she felt was the best thing to do and there was nothing that could change that.

* * *

The sun had set over the lake, giving the water a golden glow. It had looked unreal compared to the green trees, grass and brown 'beach'. Now, the sky had turned an inky, midnight blue, studded with brilliant stars. A cool breeze came over the water, causing them to open the windows instead of turning on the environmental controls the cabin had. It was the perfect night…

Z let that thought trail off. She always had images of what a perfect night would be like, but, somehow, Bridge didn't factor into it. Bridge - sweet, innocent, naïve, Bridge. He had a huge heart and wanted to make everyone around him happy. He counted Krybots - incorrectly most of the time. He was organized chaos personified - something that drove Sky nuts considering their roommate status. He was just… Bridge. There was no other way to describe. He charmed his way into her heart, but this was unknown territory for both of them. He had no experience and she was used to being nothing more than a body.

Was he ready for them to become lovers? Was _she_ ready for them to become lovers? Could this experience transcend the purely physical? She hadn't been able to dream for such a long time and all the dreams of a little girl had swamped her once she joined SPD. SPD meant safety, a bed, warmth, food - the things she had been missing since she was six years old. Perhaps it was all she cared about, so she didn't question Cruger, didn't want to rock the boat because she was afraid of having it all taken away from her.

She pushed herself from the window and turned to Bridge. He was pouring over the computer magazine he had in the car, since he insisted on reading those things from cover to cover each issue. The turning of each page was awkward with the thick, leather gloves that he wore almost all the time. Z's smile turned into a frown.

Had Cruger even considered that Bridge might be able to go without gloves? If he could learn to block out things, only letting images into his consciousness when he wanted, then he could be a normal person, or almost a normal person, without the gloves that signified immediately that he was different. All the rest of them - Syd, Sky, herself, Conner, Kira - they could fit into the rest of society without anyone noticing. But Bridge… so many rumors had been started about him and his powers.

"Bridge?"

He glanced up from the magazine, so aware of her presence that it didn't startle him like it might have a few weeks ago. "What's up?" he asked, looking curious.

"Have you ever considered going without gloves?"

His blue eyes widened into thought and surprise. "No," he replied carefully. "My training was always about using my powers as a weapon." Bridge shrugged. "When I was younger, it was just easier, rather than let all the emotions and images in. I never stopped."

"Do you think you could block them out on your own, without the gloves?"

Z had never seen Bridge look so… confused. He always had a slightly lost, puzzled air about him, but he never looked downright confused. She crossed the room to him and took the magazine out of his hands. The confusion and slight fear didn't leave his eyes. Taking a deep breath, she pulled at the Velcro on his right hand, tugging the thick leather off of his hand and throwing it to the floor. She did the same for his left hand. Surprisingly, his hands were soft and didn't have the look of being in gloves all the time. He must have done something to prevent that… Her thumbs caressed the palm of his right hand, bringing it up so that her cheek rested on his hand.

Bridge let out a shaky gasp. "What's wrong?" she whispered.

"You've been hurt," he whispered, unshed tears glistening in his eyes. "You never told me that you had been hurt before." There was no accusation in his words.

"It's past," she replied. "Are you reading my mind?"

"No." He paused. "It's something on the surface, like reading a book and not diving into the page." He produced another shaky breath. "That's the only difference, because all your other emotions match mine. Z…" Her name was barely a whisper as he wrapped his free arm around her waist. "I won't hurt you," he murmured.

"You couldn't hurt anyone."

"That's not true," he said insistently. "I hurt my parents when I refused to come home after joining SPD." His adopted parents… the word _adopted_ was unspoken, but there. "But I won't hurt _you_."

There should have been anger and bitterness in his words, but there wasn't. He was afraid and guilty for things that had happened in his past. Perhaps that contributed to his willingness to please now - he didn't want to feel guilty anymore. The irony there was that he shouldn't feel guilty about what happened.

_Z?_

She smiled. He had drifted into her mind - she felt nothing. Now she understood why Cruger thought he could make Bridge a weapon. He could read minds if he was physically touching a person.

_I thought Sky was the only person you did this to._

_ It was an accident at first - then he got used to it. It was a way of communicating without thinking people were eavesdropping._

_ This is pretty intimate._

Bridge shrugged. _Now you know why I consider Sky my brother. I know everything about him - literally._

He pulled her close, his lips grazing her temple. _Can I see into your mind if we're connected like this?_

She didn't see him shake his head, but felt it. _No. It's a one-way thing. I can see into your mind and the extent of the communication is that we can carry on a conversation. Believe me - Sky's tried to read my mind._

_Does Cruger know about this?_

Bridge was silent - and it was answer enough. Cruger didn't know that Bridge could carry on a conversation with the person whose mind he was in - and probably didn't know the details of what went on. He couldn't do what Cruger wanted, so the other aspects of his power were ignored in favor of the ones that could become a weapon.

_Can we make love like this?_

He shrugged again. _It doesn't take much energy to enter your mind and talk - and I might lose the connection if my energy has to go other places._

Z smiled and shifted so that she could plant a light kiss on his lips. _We can try. I want to do this with someone I love._

_ You love me?_

_ Of course I love you - I wouldn't have pushed this otherwise._

_ I guess it's a good thing that I love you too._

Her smile grew wider as she realized that that might be the last coherent thought passed between them for a few hours.

* * *

It was odd. He had never before envisioned himself going without gloves. The scenario had been that he became a senior citizen still wearing gloves and promising to never have children so that they would be forced to come to SPD, since his children would most likely have the kind of superpowers that he had. Now… he wanted to try. He wanted to see if he could blend into the rest of society as a normal human being.

Z shifted against him. A smile drifted over his face as he tightened his arm around her. The last few hours were a blur of sensations, but it had blown his mind into a smoking void. Never before had he been without something to say, especially, since he rambled about anything that came to mind. He had always wanted to cover the silence and cover his thoughts. Her skin was warm against his and, for the first time, the thoughts that should have been plaguing him had faded to a buzz in the background.

He glanced at Z's necklace lying on the nightstand. It seemed like such a long time ago that she had asked him to touch her baby blanket. He had to sift through the recent images to the oldest ones, the ones that were faded into nothing more than emotion. An intense love had shone through on that blanket, underneath all the pain and sorrow that had touched it.

Brushing one finger against the necklace, the normal waves of pain, sorrow, fear, joy and other emotions rushed through him. He closed his eyes and dived through the layers that covered the item, going back to when it was new, when it had been given to Z. Pride, love and joy came through, as it had with the blanket.

"Bridge?"

"Hmmm?" He pulled his hand from the necklace and tucked a stray strand of Z's hair behind her ear. She shifted again, the sheets rustling, so that she could get closer to him.

"Think Sky and Syd are having as much fun as we are?"

He laughed. "Good joke."

"I thought you said he was your brother."

Bridge thought for a moment. "We are. A long time ago, I stayed with Sky and his dad for a little while." He paused. "Neither of them talk about it, because they think I don't remember, but I do remember a little of it. I remember being loved and feeling safe - and dinosaur shaped grilled cheese sandwiches."

Z laughed. "Sky's dad isn't as tough as he seems." She paused. "Remember that Parent Weekend right after I had joined? Sky was the only one of us whose parents showed up."

"I remember. His dad and his dad's girlfriend came." Bridge smiled to himself. "According to Sky, they've been hanging out since he was five."

"It's so weird that he's the most uptight out of all of us and he's the one that has a normal family and a normal childhood."

"A lot of him being uptight comes from his drive to succeed. He's had a lot of weird breaks in his time at SPD." He shrugged. "I mean he's never been rollerblading, but he and his dad go backpacking every summer."

Z was silent for a moment. "Do you ever think that we'll find our real families and have something like that?"

"I don't know. I know that our real parents loved us so much, but we ended up in group homes and with adopted families anyways. We're all connected, but we just don't know how we're connected."

"It might be the most obvious thing," she said with a yawn.

"Like what?"

"I don't know," she echoed him, snuggling close. Her breathing became rhythmic and he knew that she was asleep once more. Bridge settled against the pillow. What was the most obvious thing? _SPD._ No - it couldn't be that. It was _too_ obvious. Cruger might be a little paranoid, but he wasn't that paranoid, was he? He fell back asleep, drifting into darkness without dreams.

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** Doo dee doo... What to say? Thanks to Kaidence Ledger for, as she put it, "beta fishing fire engine red or passion pink." (Long story involving changing title names for this section...) I think I shall do reviewer responses for those who were awesome and reviewed chapter 15 (though I believe it is 16 in the grand scheme of things.) Lots of smileys for all!

_Anastasia Athene_ - Don't feel bad! I know I'm terrible about keeping up with reviews:) Thanks for all your kind words and encouragement. I do like Conner and Paris' interaction myself. It reminds me of so many people I know...

_BloomingViolets_ - About time:) I'm glad you like what's going on with Sky/Syd and the progress that Sky and Conner are making. Sky is one of my favorites, especially during this piece. Of course you get to read about the weekend trip! And I'm really glad that you like Paris. It was difficult putting her and Austin in the piece and putting them on the same level as everyone else. I'm updating as soon as I can:)

_Christina Gomez_ - Thanks! Keep on reading:)

_Funky In Fishnet_ - Well, people are getting closer to things they weren't supposed to find... but I won't say what or when. :) Thanks for your kind words and don't worry about sounding like a broken record. It doesn't bother me in the least:)

_garnetred_ - Well, the race is on to see who will figure it out first:) Thanks for reviewing and reading!

_Giannola_ - But will Conner remember in time? Only time can tell! Thanks for your kind words:)

_juzblue_ - If Conner and Kira can put two and two together before someone else... :) Thanks for all your kind words!

_Samurai-Nashie_ - Thanks! I'm trying to update on a more regular basis.

_Weesta_ - Don't worry, I'm not going to kill anyone off in this story. (And there's an interesting story behind why I killed Dustin off in _Restless Warriors_... too long to relate here.) Sky is one of my favorite characters and the one I relate to the most. I'm glad you like what I'm doing with his character! And thanks for all your kind words and encouragement:)


	18. Unbelieving III

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

**Chapter Seventeen: Unbelieving III**

"Conner, what's wrong?"

He snapped to attention at the sound of Kira's voice. Glancing down at his hands, he took in the paring knife and the half-chopped vegetables in front of him. He had been chopping them for that night's dinner before his mind drifted off into other places - his squad, Kira, the things from his past that he wanted to forget…

No one knew that Sky kept a journal. In fact, Conner was pretty sure that Sky didn't know that _he_ knew about it. Of course, it was kind of obvious when Conner would venture to his room to talk to him and he would shove a notebook under his pillow. Few people outside the B-Squad knew that Bridge had to have a cup of coffee in the morning before he could function on the same plane of existence as the rest of them.

"Conner!"

He turned his gaze to Kira. She kept her hair straight these days - and it was pulled back into a simple bun. So much had changed since high school… it made him wonder what might have happened if he hadn't decided on the course of soccer for his life. His father had wanted him to go to college on the East Coast. He would have done it too - Ethan had been going to some college in Boston, so he wouldn't have been completely alone. But he had listened to Doctor O and Ethan and even Kira as they told him to play soccer, do what he loved.

It had brought him heartbreak and pain.

But what would he trade his life now for anything else?

No - he loved his daughters and he loved Kira. It scared him to admit that to himself, but he knew that was what he felt. It still wasn't right to burden her with things that had gone on in his life before - he didn't want to hurt her. He remembered the wide-eyed way she had left them after high school graduation and how her phone calls and e-mails became darker as she realized the real cruelty of the world. She retreated from it, as he had. Now, they were both here.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

He nodded, giving her a brave smile. "I'm fine."

"Being paranoid because the rest of your squad is elsewhere?"

"Sure," he agreed absently. His squad wasn't the reason for his absentminded drifting. He worried about them - and while Paris did know what she was doing, she tended to stay by herself, letting no one near her. No - there was so much that he wanted to tell Kira and he couldn't.

He took a deep breath. "Paris does a good job, but I'm just worried that Cruger is pushing them too hard, too fast and someone will get hurt. And it doesn't make any sense for him to do that now that the A-Squad is MIA and-"

Conner knew that he was rambling, but it covered up the churning of his mind. Whoever said wisdom came with age lied. He didn't feel any wiser or any more knowledgeable. If anything, he felt like he was floundering, like he should have the answers, but didn't. No one had the answers to Cruger's mind, except for Kat, but she didn't share her thoughts.

Kira took the paring knife from his hands and rested her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his waist. He reveled in the simple embrace. "You really have grown up," she whispered against him.

It was on the tip of his tongue to say, 'I should think so,' but he kept it to himself. There were times when he thought Kira expected him to go back to the way that he had been during high school, but he couldn't - not even if he wanted to. He had been through entirely too much and, besides, his daughters were more important to him that anything in the world. He couldn't think only of himself when they were right behind him, reminding him that he was responsible for someone other than himself.

"It will be fine," she whispered. "Nothing will happen this weekend."

His thoughts went briefly to the girls, sleeping in their room. Nothing could be like it was back in high school. Nothing… his life had come to something, but he couldn't help thinking about what if something happened and all that he had came to nothing.

"Probably not," he agreed.

Conner felt himself tense as she pressed a light kiss to his cheek. Kira stepped away from him, her brow furrowed in worry. "Are you sure you're all right?" she asked.

"Kira, we can't," he whispered, stepping further away, widening the gap between them.

"We can't what?" She stepped toward him again, the frown in her expression deepening and becoming darker.

"You - me - we can't be together." He paused and took a shaky breath, the doubts and worries that had been plaguing him tumbling together. "Too much has happened."

Kira went from concerned to exasperated in one fluid motion. She stepped back, her hands on her hips. "Have you really been hurt that badly?"

"Yes." It came out in nothing more than a whisper. The memory of the divorce and his fall to poverty danced in front of his eyes - living in a mansion and being the greatest soccer player to ever hit America to living in a rat-infested apartment and wondering where his next meal was going to come from and when the eviction notice was coming. That was a time he desperately wanted to forget, but he couldn't and hadn't allowed himself to love Kira for fear that it would happen again. It was ridiculous and silly, but he still feared. Too much had happened.

"Then you don't know me at all." The words were flat and emotionless. Conner bit his tongue, trying not to think about how much that voice was the one that his ex-wife used to use with him all the time.

And she was gone.

He hadn't heard anything - not the slid of the door or even footsteps leaving.

Conner sighed and tried to tell himself that it was better this way. He had two daughters to take care of and a job to do, not to mention being responsible for four other Power Rangers - he didn't need any distractions.

Why, then, did it feel like his heart was shattering?

* * *

"No - I've got some off time two weeks from now. I'll be home then." There was a pause. "She _is_ going to be in town that weekend? Maybe I can switch with someone…"

Syd smiled to herself as she listened to Sky's conversation with his father. He had planned to take some off time a while ago to go home, but it hadn't happened between Gruumm and the extra training. Now, he had decided to take some leave time in a few weeks. It was part of Conner's guilt-trip towards Cruger. Their commander was obviously feeling guilty, so he was making up for overworking them with leave time.

Her first encounter with Sky's father had been odd - it had been the Parent's Night the first year the three of them, herself, Sky and Bridge, had been together at the academy. A man with Asian features had asked her if she had seen Sky Tate. Her reply had been neutral, since she hadn't seen him. At the time, she had assumed he was a family friend of Sky's. Later, when Sky introduced the man as his father, she had almost fallen over. Eric Myers had been a mystery - he avoided Cruger and swiftly changed the subject when someone mentioned him. However, Sky didn't talk about that aspect of his father and she hadn't asked.

She shook her head and continued to brush her hair. The day had been nice, swimming and playing around the lake - even spending last night cuddled in Sky's arms. But now that she had time to think, certain things unsettled her. Thanks to Bridge, all of them knew that his or her biological parents had worked at SPD in 2001 and been involved in DNA experiments. It might mean nothing or it might mean everything. And their last names - the last check she had done with Paris revealed that none of them shared a last name with their adopted parents. It wasn't much, but it was another link in a slowly developing chain.

"I might be able to switch with Z - she wasn't planning on going anywhere for her weekend off." There was another pause. "All right. I'll see what I can do. Yeah - I love you too, Dad. Bye."

The cell phone clicked closed before Sky appeared in the bedroom that they were sharing for the weekend. There were more rooms in the cabin, but her aunt had the maid make up only two of them. She didn't mind sleeping in the same bed as Sky, but it made her crave more, wondering if he felt the same yearning. Friday afternoon she had been all set to wait a while longer before having sex with Sky, but now… It was Saturday night and she felt like her entire outlook on the situation had changed. She wished there was someone to talk to, someone _female_. But Z was still wrapped up in the euphoria that had come from last night with Bridge and Paris was on duty all weekend. She didn't want to get her sister in trouble for taking personal calls - and their adopted mother was out of the question.

Syd quickly pulled her hair into a ponytail as Sky sat down on the edge of the bed. He was wearing the long-sleeved blue shirt that he slept in along with the blue plaid pajama pants. Perhaps it was time to break the proverbial ice by asking an inane question.

"Do you always sleep in that?"

Sky looked momentarily startled by the question, before he shrugged. "I can't stand being cold," he added softly.

"Really?" she asked, surprised. Of all the people to be concerned about the temperature, she didn't think that Sky would be one of them. "Does Bridge know?" The last part was blurting out and she was a little embarrassed she asked. Of course Bridge probably knew all about that, just like he knew everything else about Sky.

"Does it matter?"

"No," she answered quickly. "I just thought that-"

"It doesn't matter," he repeated with emphasis.

Syd nodded, gazing at him. This was obviously a personal preference that he had and had nothing to do with nerves or temperament or things of that nature. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "I don't want it to be Sunday," she whispered, changing the subject. "Sunday means work and I want more of this."

"More of what?"

"You and Bridge tipping a rowboat and forgetting that you could have stopped the whole thing with a shield," Syd replied, giggling at the memory. That morning, they had taken the rowboats out on the lake - guys in one boat and girls in the other. Bridge, being his normal, forgetful and ridiculous self, leaned over the edge too far and capsized the entire boat.

Sky scowled. She giggled and scooted over to him, sighing with content as he immediately wrapped an arm around her, holding her close. It amazed her that, while Sky was completely isolated from others, he never rejected the opportunity for human contact.

"I don't want to go back to SPD, because that means more unanswered questions," he whispered, his breath warm on her hair. "We don't have to be reminded of it here."

That was true. All of their parents having been SPD employees were almost too big of a coincidence to pass up, but nothing implicated SPD. If it was a coincidence, it was the world's biggest coincidence.

Sky shook his head. "Let's just get some sleep."

Syd nodded in reply and, in a few moments, the pair of them was under the covers in the darkened room. Sky's arm was around her and, for the first time in a long time, she felt content and secure.

* * *

"Something is wrong."

Bridge wasn't aware that he had spoken aloud until Z shifted against him, her dark eyes asking a question. He met her gaze, moving his arm from where he had it wrapped around her waist so that she could face him. Suddenly, sleeping in his own quarters, in his own bed at the academy was starting to seem like something completely foreign.

"Sky," he clarified. Her expression became less worried. Now that they had established that it wasn't Gruumm or mortal peril that was facing Sky…

She nodded. "Can you feel something?"

"Distress."

It was all he had to say. She could fill in what else was going on. Something had been festering - some problem, a dilemma that none of them could begin to unravel. Bridge had an idea that if had something to do with Syd and the ever present question facing most couples. Sky was slow to change, if he changed at all. Syd was the first girlfriend that Bridge could remember Sky having, unless he had a serious girlfriend when he and Dru had still been close friends. But he doubted that.

He got out of bed and pulled on some of his discarded clothes. Z grabbed his hand, now free of the gloves and squeezed gently. He gave her an unsure smile. Nothing was ever certain with Sky. Drama queen wasn't exactly the term to describe him - it was more along the lines of spaz-out-at-every-opportunity.

No one was in the upstairs hall. Bridge let out a long breath and padded down the stairs to the first level. It wasn't hard to find the Blue Ranger - he was sitting on the swing on the back porch, swaying ever so slightly with the night breeze. He slipped through the cracked open door and sat down next to Sky.

"Hey," he said softly.

Sky turned towards him, not surprised by his presence. "Hey," he responded, before turning back to the moonlit lake.

"Something wrong?" His long-time friend shrugged. "Is it about Syd?" Sky shrugged again. "Are we playing Twenty Questions?"

"You're down to seventeen questions."

Bridge snorted, then took in the wistful gaze on Sky's face. "What are you thinking about?" he whispered.

"I've just got an uneasy feeling - like something big is about to happen."

"Join the club," Bridge retorted with a smirk. "I think it's a little more straightforward than that."

"Like what?"

"Like you and Syd have both changed your minds about the whole 'we're going to wait' thing, but neither of you are brave enough to bring it back up."

Sky gave him a withering expression. "How the hell do you do that?"

"I'm telepathic, remember?" Bridge tapped his temple. "Just go back upstairs, since I'm pretty sure Syd is awake and you two can work something out."

Sky rolled his eyes as he stood up and went back into the cabin. "Night, Bridge," he called, disappearing into the darkness.

"Night," Bridge said softly. He waited for a moment, breathing in the cool, night air, listening to the sounds around him. He got up and went back to his bedroom - to where Z was waiting for him. It was weird to have a girlfriend at all, let alone someone he could call his lover, but it had happened. Z was sleeping when he entered. He quickly undressed and slipped into bed next to her.

"Fix the problem," she asked sleepily.

"More like gave him a push in the right direction."

"A push or a kick?"

He laughed and wrapped an arm around her waist. She rested her head on his chest, sighing contently. Did tomorrow really have to come?

* * *

Paris rested her cheek on the palm of her hand as she fought the urge to go back to sleep - not caring that she was officially on duty in the Command Center of the academy. Well, it had been her own fault that she had been up so late last night and it shouldn't have made a difference since she was used to pulling all-nighters. The only glitch had been that she allowed herself to sleep for the few hours she had instead of just staying up. Great.

With her right arm, she tapped at some of the controls, making the surveillance and warning screens minimized in the left corner of the screen. She typed in her access code and clicked on the archives link, bringing up the archives in the Command Center. Perhaps working on something she cared about would help.

"Morning!"

She glanced up at the entirely too cheerful voice. Boom had just wandered into the Command Center, looking like his normal, happy-go-lucky self. "Hey Boom," she replied absently. She liked Boom, but didn't associate with him much since a patrol officer didn't have much use for a guy who tested experimental equipment.

"I was going to get some coffee," Boom continued. "Want some?"

"Sure," she replied.

Boom left and it was quiet and devoid of like once more.

Paris sighed. There seemed to be little point in pouring over the archives anymore. Everything had hit a dead end - Blue Bay Harbor, the experiments in 2001, even their last names… But she couldn't extinguish the little flame of hope that told her somehow, something would yield results.

She jerked her head from her hand as an idea came to her. Bridge showed characteristics of being a Mirinite human rather than Earthling. If her theory that all six of them were connected somehow was correct, then starting with Bridge would be just as good as starting with any of them. The Green Ranger had to be at least part Mirinite, if not completely from Mirinoi. Perhaps… he had been born in 2003. What if he had been born on Mirinoi and not on Earth? Would Cruger have locked up files from Mirinoi?

Paris tapped a few controls on the panel, bringing up the search engine.

"Computer," she said in a clear voice. "Search Mirinoi population polls, birth certificates and media files for the name Bridge Carson - include complete first or last name matches if the full match doesn't come up."

The computer began to show a searching message. She held her breath, hoping that nothing else had been restricted from the public.

"This may take a few minutes since we have to connect to remote satellites," a neutral female voice that was the computer said. "Would you like to continue?"

"Yes," she replied quickly.

"Gathering information," the computer responded. A five minute countdown started on the screen. The seconds ticked by more slowly than they normally would have. Paris tapped her foot impatiently.

Three minutes… two minutes…

The alarm began to blare and the red flashing lights came on. Paris swore violently as she was forced to shut down the search and bring up the surveillance feed once more. Of course Gruumm would pick now to attack. She tapped the controls and brought up the traffic camera feed of one of Gruumm's bounty hunters robbing a bank. Shit…

She brought up the communication line that contacted Conner. It was the emergency page that would bring him straight to the Command Center. Another screen came up as the alarm continued to blare. One of Gruumm's robots was wreaking havoc downtown. Lovely - that meant she had to call the rangers back since it would take the entire Mega-Zord to bring down the robot. She would have to send out a patrol squad to take care of the robber.

Tapping more communication lines, she soon had an open line with Sky who sounded like he had been jolted from a sound sleep.

"What?" he asked, sounding grumpy. That was either a good thing or a bad thing. She made a mental note to grill Syd when she next got a chance.

"Big robot downtown," she said quickly. "Get dressed and I'll have Kat or Boom teleport you back here immediately."

"Huh?"

"Just do it!"

She shut down the communication line and began bringing up information on the robot, when Conner came barging into the Command Center. Paris began to fill him in on the situation, the search of the Mirinoi archives temporarily pushed out of her mind as she got involved in the job she was being paid to do.

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter - _AnnoyingGenius, Silver Warrior, Samurai-Nashie, Funky In Fishnet, MagCat, Nicki, aquarius12285, kris, garnetred, Christina Gomez, Anastasia Athene, BloomingViolets, Giannola _and _juzblue_. You guys are awesome and, in many ways, keep this story going. Thanks to Kaidence Ledger for beta fishing this chapter. I also apologize for the delay in the update - went on an unplanned road trip... no excuse, I know. But once more, thanks to all who have reviewed, read and helped out with this piece! 


	19. Unbelieving IV

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

**Chapter Eighteen: Unbelieving IV**

Syd watched as Paris pulled her bag over her shoulder. She let out a long breath and curled up in the corner of the couch in her older sister's apartment. It had been a week since the cabin and none of them had time to spend together apart from their duties. Paris was dressed in civilian clothes with her longish blonde hair unbound. She was heading for her normal haunt on the SPD Academy grounds - the archives.

"Are you sure you don't need help?" she asked as a last ditch attempt to get her sister to take pity on her and allow her to come along.

Paris just shook her head, none of the normal sarcasm or scathing in her blue-gray eyes. "No," she repeated firmly, glancing at one of her perfectly manicured hands. "You and Sky need to sit down and have a talk and now is an opportune time."

The Pink Ranger frowned at the unspoken words there. In another week, their individual off-weekends would start. Sky was first and he was just going home - which happened to be in Newtech City. Of course, Paris would remember that both of them were off-duty and could talk in a surrounding other than the academy.

They had been awkward around each other since the weekend. Sky had left their room close to midnight, claiming he was going for a walk. When he got back, something about both of their resolves to remain virgins shattered. Mind-blowing as the initial experience had been and as caring and gentle as Sky had been the first and subsequent times that night, the wake-up call to their blaring morphers had left no time for them to deal with the aftermath.

And there had been no time the following week as monsters and robots continued to attack and their individual training schedules kept them apart. Now, she felt like a coward for running to her sister the moment they got off today, but she needed some time to breathe before confronting Sky. God, she loved him, but what was he going to say? What was he even thinking right now? She knew full well that avoiding the situation was the worst idea yet, but she couldn't help herself.

"Get up off my couch and go talk to Sky," Paris said, her hands on her hips. "I have work to get done."

"Like what?"

"Don't change the subject."

"You are only a year older than me and you're not my boss!"

Paris just shrugged. "You're right - I'm not your boss, but I hope that you listen to me and what I'm telling you. If you only listen to me this once, it'll be enough." She adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I do have things to do that do not involve being a shoulder to cry on."

Syd just stared as her sister stalked out of the apartment. Paris believed strongly in people helping themselves - she relied on no one and wanted no one to rely on her. She was right, as much as Syd hated to admit it. If anyone would know about broken relationships, shattered hearts and fallen dreams, it was Paris. She took a deep breath. It was time to find her boyfriend and stop being cowardly.

And it wouldn't be hard to find him.

She went down the familiar halls to the room that Sky shared with Bridge. The door was open and Bridge was zooming around, picking up things and reorganizing the chaos that was his side of the room. Sky was ignoring him, sitting cross-legged on his bed, reading a book.

"Hey, Syd!" Bridge greeted her cheerfully without actually looking at her.

Sky looked startled for a moment, before he carefully put the book down and met her gaze. He looked just as afraid as she felt. "Hi Syd," he said softly.

"Hey," she whispered. "Can we talk?"

Sky glanced to Bridge, who was being oblivious to them. "Bridge, can you finish reorganizing some other time?"

The Green Ranger gave Sky a curious look, before comprehension dawned on him. "Sure," he said slowly. "I'll just go see if Z… yeah… bye guys!" He hurried out of the room in his normal fashion - being ridiculous and spastic.

"I know what this is about," Sky said quietly, rubbing his temple. "And it's not that I don't care about you, it's just that we haven't had much time and neither of us were planning on taking that step over the weekend."

Syd felt her stomach clench. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"What is _what_ supposed to mean?"

"What was that to you? Just a one night stand?"

"What?"

Now that she was done feeling sorry for herself and skittish around Sky, she felt the anger bubbling up the surface. "So you just use me for one night and then move on with you life? Is that how it works with you, Tate?"

Sky stood up. "If you hadn't noticed, that was my first time too! And I'm sorry if you've been getting the wrong impression, but-"

"But _what_?" She wanted a fight.

"I love you."

Syd froze at those words. She had been expecting a lot of things to come out of Sky's mouth, but that hadn't been it. He swore under his breath and turned towards the window, raking a hand through his hair. He turned back to her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "That was supposed to be in a much more romantic setting."

"When were you planning on telling me?"

"Tonight," he replied, moving towards her and placing one hand on her waist. "I was going to ask you if you wanted to go for a walk with me." He paused. "But Bridge was taking forever to get ready since he lost his favorite shirt in the mess," he gestured towards Bridge's side of the room. "And I couldn't leave before him without a thousand questions." He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

All the questions and doubts vanished with that simple kiss. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I had thought that-"

Sky gently laid a finger on her lips. "It doesn't matter." He paused, his blue eyes scrutinizing her face. "Let's just go for the walk. I'll meet you in the lounge in ten minutes?"

She nodded in agreement and started to the door. Once there, she paused and turned back to him. "Sky?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you, too."

* * *

Conner pulled his reading glasses off and rubbed his eyes. The weekends never seemed to be long enough or allot enough extra time for him to get caught up on his work. Most of the B-Squad research was divided up and his always seemed to be the last finished since he had to direct the others and check their work. Most of the time, he left Sky to his own devices, since he accomplished more. Bridge needed constant reminding of deadlines. Z did pretty well, but still got mixed up about databases and sources. Syd was just a flat-out mess when it came to paperwork and tedious things. 

He had hated research papers as a high school and college student, but realized it more acutely now. He didn't have a girlfriend or Ethan in the background to check his work. He was on his own. Conner sighed, realizing he had been home a total of two hours tonight - enough time to feed the girls dinner and get them to bed. He hadn't spoken to Kira since the disastrous dinner on Saturday night.

The doors slid open. Conner glanced up, watching Cruger enter the room. It wasn't unusual for their commander to check up on them from time to time, albeit he didn't normally come this late at night. He made to stand up and salute.

"Lieutenant McKnight, at ease," Cruger said quickly, holding up a hand. "I wanted to talk with you about some of the happenings within your squad."

He sank down onto the stool. "Sir, I'm not aware of anything non-handbook going on."

"No," Cruger said. "Nothing has happened yet, but I want you to be prepared if a situation should come up." The big, blue dog paused. "You are aware that cadets of the opposite gender are allowed to visit one another's quarters until lights-out. After that time, a cadet must be in his or her own room or the room of someone of the same gender."

Conner shrugged. "Normal procedures." The place was a school, so he would expect nothing less of the guidelines established.

"Make sure it stays enforced. I realize that your squad might be more mature than most and that they are Power Rangers, but they are still cadets and must follow the cadet guidelines spelled out in the handbook."

He nodded. "I'll do my best, but there's not much I can do after I'm back in my apartment for the night."

Cruger nodded. "Just keep it in mind at your next squad meeting." With that, the commander left the room. As the doors slid open to grant him an exit, they revealed a startled Bridge about to enter the room.

"Uh - hi," Bridge faltered, as Cruger gave him a stern look and walked past him. The Green Ranger looked after him for a split second before turning towards Conner and coming into the room. He gave him an uneasy smile before sitting down on a stool opposite him. "Hey," he said softly.

"It's late," Conner replied, trying not to yawn. "You should be in bed."

Bridge shrugged. "Sky is busy with Syd, so I can't go back to our room yet and Z is in pain and wants to be left alone."

"Z is in pain?"

"Girl problems… or something like that…" Bridge trailed off, before glancing at his research interestedly. "So, what are you working on?"

Conner suddenly understood Cruger's warning about academy regulations being enforced within the B-Squad. It was after lights-out, meaning that if Syd was caught in the guys' room, she and Sky were busted. "Devastation," he replied.

Bridge nodded. "Cool."

It wasn't cool and both of them knew it. The monster had nearly taken them and their Mega-Zord out in the last battle. They hadn't seen him for some time, but that meant absolutely nothing where Gruumm was concerned.

"What do you want?" Sitting around and chatting wasn't getting his work done and he did want to sleep tonight.

"What's wrong?" It was blurted out, like Bridge had been going to build up to it, but accidentally cut to the chase early.

"With who? Me?"

"Well - yeah - I mean you're the only person who I don't know what is wrong with because I know with everyone else. Well, Z was pretty easy to figure out and then there was Sky and Syd and that was easy too, so it just leaves you."

Conner stared at Bridge, before shaking his head. "I'm fine - just a little tired and overworked."

"Are you sure?"

"Look, Bridge, I appreciate the concern, but there isn't anything you can do about it."

"Sometimes it helps to just talk."

The Green Ranger would be one for just talking, wouldn't he? Conner gave him an appraising look. Their training sessions involving Bridge tended to end with him having a migraine, owing to what his power was. Sky got nosebleeds - Bridge got headaches. Z had passed out on a few occasions from being unable to control the number of replicates she had made. Conner glanced down to his bandaged ankle - another souvenir from a training session. He didn't mind himself being injured as much as he did the rest of the team.

"Bridge-"

"Did you get hurt today?"

Conner started at the abrupt change of subject. He glanced down once more at the bandaged ankle. He was wearing the clothes he normally worked out in - loose gray pants and a red SPD T-shirt, although, because of the ankle, he had chosen to wear sandals rather than tennis shoes.

"I screwed up my ankle a couple years ago," he replied slowly. "It still acts up from time to time." That much was true. He had hurt himself playing soccer towards the end of his career, but ended up having surgery and being back on his feet in time for the end of the season. It hadn't started hurting again until recently - he had taken to wrapping it again rather than going to the infirmary.

Bridge nodded, but Conner could tell that he wasn't satisfied by the explanation - of course, Bridge knew more than he let on, but he didn't really feel like going into the details of how he and Syd were being affected by the training just like the other three.

"You need to get to bed," he reiterated. "Throw Syd out of your room before all of us get in trouble."

* * *

Kat glanced down at the armful of books she was taking from the library to help with her latest project. This time seemed like the calm before the storm. She paused at the door to the library, glancing into the archives room. Paris was entering a search, but she was too far away for Kat to see what she was searching for. The girl was getting closer. She already knew that she needed to start searching the archives from Mirinoi and not keep searching Earth. The links and connections were too vague on Earth. 

But on Mirinoi…

There was only one child on Mirinoi with a birth certificate that had the same birth date that Paris was looking for - and that child had been Bridge. Miss Drew wasn't stupid enough to throw it aside. The first and middle names would be the same. It made her wonder why Doggie had insisted upon the last name change, but not the change of the rest of the name. Bridge had been born during a period on Mirinoi when not many colonist children were being born due to faulty communications and constant malfunctions in the City Dome.

No, Paris would find the birth certificate listing Bridge Corbett as a citizen of Mirinoi and it would list his parents, one of which was Mirinite. Once she had his parents, she would search the database and find out about the abduction. There might not have been publicity about it on Earth, but the publicity had come on Mirinoi.

And she had grouped all of those files together. The computer would bring them all up at once, rather than in ones and twos, as would normally happen. Paris would find it and put two and two together. It may take her a day or two to contact the Corbetts, but she would and those two would be able to tell her the rest of what she needed to know. Kat couldn't be sure if the middle Drew child would keep the information to herself until she had all the answers or if she would tell the others as she found out - the cat was betting on the former.

Whatever the case, all of them would find out.

The masquerade had been going on too long. The rangers would defeat the Troovians, with or without the knowledge of their backgrounds. It was time - past time for them to realize what had happened to them at the hands of SPD.

"Dr. Manx!"

She started at the familiar voice before turning to Commander Cruger. "Yes, sir?" she asked, keeping her voice neutral.

"I'd like to talk to you about the progress of the SWAT mode for the ranger powers."

Kat could suddenly breathe easier. This wasn't about enforcing academy regulations or blocking more of the files so that Paris wouldn't find anything. It was about normal, ordinary business. She nodded. "Sure. Does tomorrow morning work?"

"That's fine," the dog replied. "Have Boom give me a quick briefing before then?"

"Of course."

She stepped back as Cruger continued down the hall. She closed her eyes, trying to steady herself before going back to her work. Almost against her will, her gaze fell upon Paris once more. She thought about those blue-gray eyes and the accusing look in them every time she looked at her. The girl had ridiculous adopted parents. Kat thought to Paris' real parents - a firefighter and a pediatrician. She would have gotten along with them - neither one of them were frivolous people.

Manx sighed and continued down the hall to her lab.

* * *

Paris glanced up at the screen - the search engine was still trying to retrieve the information from Mirinoi that she requested. Since it wasn't high priority, it was taking forever. She let out a long breath at the screen, blowing a stray piece of hair out of her eyes. Giving the screen a scowl, she pulled out a data pad - might as well send her big brother some snail mail while she was sitting around doing nothing. Technically, Austin was older since he was a whole two minutes ahead of her. However, most of their childhood she felt like she was the oldest, since Austin spent so much time keeping the peace. She had been the one to fight and pave the way for them. 

_Austin_, she started typing on the data pad. _How's life in a galaxy in the middle of nowhere? We're doing about the same here - I did get to stay in the Command Center more than five seconds last weekend because the entire B-Squad managed to get the same weekend off. I applaud them for that. But I'm back to boring, old patrol work now._

Who was she kidding? She hadn't seen Austin in close to three years and there was no reason for Cruger to bring him back now. Oh, she knew that he got all his mail because he responded to her and Syd's letters and sometimes managed to send them things he found in the other galaxy, but none of them were given any hope for a reunion.

_I promised to keep you updated on the progress of my project, especially since all the other B-Squad rangers have gotten involved as well. I'm trying to track down some leads from Mirinoi - especially since I'm convinced one of the B-Squad rangers is at least half Mirinite. However, the search engine is being slow, so I'm writing to you._

"Results," the computer said in its mechanical, pleasant voice.

Paris put the data pad down on the counter in front of the computer. She started to scroll through the files - there were a lot of people on Mirinoi that had Bridge or Carson as a first name or last name. Time to refine the search.

"Computer," she said, switching to voice commands. "Narrow the results to people born in the year 2003."

The huge number of files suddenly went down to three. Paris glanced at them. The first person on the remaining list had the first name Carson, but had been born a good six months ahead of Bridge. The next had the same first name, but a different birth date. One left… she clicked on the remaining file.

Bridge Corbett… had the same birth date as Bridge Carson. Paris grinned to herself - it had to be the same person. The birth announcement even listed the same off-the-wall middle name that Bridge had - Jara. The announcement claimed that he had been born in the medical center of the City Dome, all which remained of the space colony, Terra Venture. The announcement even went on to list the parents - Michael and Maya Corbett, the mother being a native of Mirinoi and the father being an officer on Terra Venture.

"Yes!" Paris cried, punching a fist in the air. All she had to do was corroborate this information with other information in the Mirinoi archives, none of which appeared to be under lock and key like the Earth archives.

Soon enough, she had news articles from Terra Venture littering the desktop of the computer. The headlines were enough to tell her what she wanted - Officer's Son Kidnapped by Elitist Police, Court Case on Earth Lost, Children Abducted… She glanced through the information on the latest article. It listed other children that had been taken from their parents at the same time as Bridge Corbett - twins and a daughter from a couple with the last name Grayson, a daughter from the Evans' and it even mentioned the son of a billionaire that had been missing for three years.

These had to be the people she was looking for - all of them were interconnected and one call would tell her all she needed. In the morning she would put the call through to Mirinoi, since the intergalactic operators wouldn't be around at this hour.

But she couldn't tell the others until she was sure…

And she would be sure very soon… 

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note: **Updating soon... Thanks to Kaidence Ledger for beta fishing and to all my readers and reviewers! If you guys are in the same boat I'm in, then going back to school is smacking you between the eyes. I won't be able to update until Saturday at the earliest (more like Sunday or Monday), because I have to go back to the Pit of Doom... I mean college and get my internet set up. So, cheers and keep on reviewing! It means a bunch to me! 


	20. Unbelieving V

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

**Chapter Nineteen: Unbelieving V**

There was something about Tuesdays that he had just never got the hang of, Sky reflected as he changed out of in his uniform and into khaki pants with a blue striped shirt. Sundays were always a little depressing because it was the end of the weekend and Mondays were just spent getting back into the routine, but Tuesdays were just monotonous because one realized that there were three more days of this garbage before the weekend rolled around again.

"You're going out?" Bridge asked mildly from his bed. The Green Ranger was sitting on his bed, reading a copy of his latest computer magazine.

"Does going on a walk count?"

"You'd normally just wear your uniform for that."

"I'm getting tired of that thing," he ended the conversation with a grin. Bridge returned a knowing smile before going back to the magazine.

Their room fell silent once more. Not so long ago, it would have been filled with Bridge's inane chatter as he tried to block out emotional projections in the air. He would have responded to the inane chatter with the expected nods and grunts in the appropriate places - understanding why the incessant talking happened. Now, each of them was content to be alone with their thoughts and Bridge had stopped wearing gloves without the previous results of sensory overload or even the seizures he had once.

"Oh my God!"

He heard Syd storming down the hall before she actually entered their room - and she entered with a dramatic flare, throwing a data pad on his bed and collapsing with feigned faintness into his desk chair.

"Read that!" she commanded.

Sky picked up the pad, noting out of the corner of his eye that Bridge had stopped reading the magazine and was listening to them. He started to read aloud. "B-Squad members, please remember that, even after official duty hours have ended, you are still on call unless leave time has been granted. You must remain on academy grounds and have your morphers with you at all times."

He glanced at Syd. She was wearing jeans and a pink tank top, her arms crossed over her chest as a disgruntled look had settled over her face. Sky stayed still for a moment, not knowing how to respond to the official reminder. It meant that they couldn't go to the park unless someone covered for them - and the other members of the B-Squad had already been covering for them too often. It would be unfair to ask them.

"That's where I left Peanuts!"

Sky focused in on Syd enough to realize she was looking at the ridiculous stuffed animal sitting on his bed. "Yeah…" he replied slowly.

"We had room inspections this morning," Bridge piped up. "Cruger thought it was a little odd that Sky had a stuffed animal."

"And it's not odd that you have one?" the Blue Ranger shot back.

Bridge just grinned. "You guys for a walk around the grounds and I'll go collect Z so that we each have a room to ourselves." The Green Ranger glanced at his watch. "Lights-out is officially at ten-thirty."

"I'm aware," Sky replied, checking his own watch.

He met Bridge's gaze, knowing exactly what he was thinking. Sometimes it was scary that they came to the same conclusion without any of Bridge's mind jumps or anything of that nature. Brothers… how often had he actually referred to himself and Bridge as brothers? So often that it was natural.

Syd grabbed his hand, threading her fingers through his. "Thanks, Bridge," she said with her trademark, radiant grin.

He just shook his head and allowed himself to be dragged from his room. He didn't know what the future would bring - more strenuous training, monsters that they couldn't defeat, more knowledge of their pasts - but right now, he was content.

* * *

Paris walked into the communication center at the time she had scheduled. Intergalactic phone call times had to be scheduled in advance - although some leeway was given for emergencies. She smiled as she walked up to the check-in desk. The woman sitting there had graduated from the academy the same year she did, although her specialty had been communication, while Paris went on to become a patrol officer.

"Hey, Susie!" she said. Sometimes, acting was a good thing.

"Paris," the woman responded with a smile. "Calling Austin?"

That was who she would normally be calling - that was who she fervently wished that she was calling. It would make it so much easier. "Not today," she replied, overlooking the confused shadow that crossed Susie's eyes. "I need to get in touch with some people on Mirinoi - Mike and Maya Corbett."

"Case work?"

"In a manner of speaking."

She gave Susie the information that had been listed for them, watching as her fellow officer typed it in and brought up the correct communication lines. "All right - I should be able to get through to them. You'll have half an hour to talk."

"Thanks," she replied, heading for the booth that had been allotted to her. Paris slipped inside and shut the door, putting on the headset and keeping her data pad ready. She gave Susie a thumbs-up, hoping that nothing would go wrong - not when she was so close to having the answers she had been seeking for such a long time.

Some static filled the line, before a ringing began. Lord, she hoped that the Corbetts' were actually home at this moment and that they wanted to speak with someone who knew where their son was. All the worst case scenarios flashed before her eyes, but the news articles about Bridge being kidnapped gave her the most hope of all.

"Hello?"

Paris was so startled when a female voice answered the call that she nearly dropped her data pad. Gripping the cool metal, she tried to steady herself. "Hi," she said, the poise she had prided herself on for so long falling away in awkwardness. "May I please speak to Mike or Maya Corbett?"

"This is Maya Corbett," the woman said slowly.

"You don't know me," she said quickly, hoping that the woman wouldn't hang up on her. "I'm Paris Drew. But I know your son, Bridge."

Silence filled the other line. Paris felt her heart hammer in her chest, not wanting the person she had hoped would tell her everything to disconnect.

"You know Bridge," Maya said softly and slowly.

"Yes," Paris breathed.

"I'm listening."

* * *

"So how does this work out? Sky and Syd are going for a walk, so you offer to consolidate the rooms until lights-out." Z paused and gave him a withering look. "You are too incredibly nice for your own good."

"They'd do the same thing for us," he replied mildly.

"Yeah, after you twisted an arm or broke all Syd's nails."

Bridge smiled at her. "It wouldn't take that much persuasion."

"Want to bet?" Z collapsed onto his bed, throwing an arm over her eyes in the same gesture. "Those two need to get over the whole 'we're so in love' part of their relationship. It's starting to make me sick."

He was about to reply that they had done the same thing, when he realized that they hadn't. He knew exactly what Z's feeling for him were - and knew that if she doubted him, they wouldn't be together anymore. Bridge just let out a long breath and sat down on the edge of his bed, next to Z. For so much of his life, he had been confused. Now, he just felt like he understood what was going on around him, which was a good thing.

"What are you thinking about?"

He turned. Z had propped herself up on one elbow and was looking at him. She had an expectant look on her face that meant, if he didn't tell her, she was going to get it out of him somehow. "Something is going to happen," he said slowly. He never had anything resembling precognition before, unless it happened to be in someone's aura.

"Something is going to happen?" Z echoed, sounding incredulous. "Like what?"

"I - I don't know," he faltered.

She sat up and scooted closer to him, her arms going around his waist. "Bridge," she whispered. "I know that you're much more attune to the world around you than you would ever let on, but things are always going to happen." Z paused. "Is it supposed to be something huge?"

Bridge nodded, not returning the physical gesture. He was suddenly tired - tired of searching for something that he had never been able to find, tired of running constant interference between people, tired of the training sessions that were focused on turning him into a super-weapon, tired of everything in general… The weekend at the cabin had been great - and opened up a whole world of possibilities for him. Finally being able to block out images from handling items, without gloves, was one of the better things to happen to him. However, Cruger saw it as one more thing that could make him a stealth weapon.

"We're people," he said softly. "We're human beings - we're alive. No one understands that. They see us as freaks or mutants… not human." He sighed. "Maybe it would have been better if we were aliens and not human."

"Don't say that."

"We are," he replied flatly. "There's no other term for it."

"We're unique," Z said. "We had nothing to do with what we are."

"But somehow we've become weapons and not people?"

"That's Cruger!" Z released her hold on him, standing on the bed to emphasize her point. "No one else thinks of us that way. _We_ can't think of ourselves that way!" She shook her head and knelt down next to him, cupping his face between her palms. "You can't let one person define who you are. I know you a lot better than Cruger." She pressed a feather-light kiss to his nose. "You are not a freak."

Bridge smiled tentatively, leaning forward to capture her lips in a proper kiss. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm just… tired."

Z just shook her head. "I can tell. You never snap at anyone."

"I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing. It's only human." She reached over to his alarm clock and set it for ten-fifteen. "That should be adequate time to boot Sky out of my room and get in bed by the time Cruger wants us there."

He nodded, allowing Z to push him down onto his bed and tuck the blankets around him. He let out a contented sigh as she settled next to him. Had he been so starved for a simple touch all these years that, now that he and Z were together, he could look beyond controlling his powers and functioning on the same level as the others?

"Z?"

"Mmmm?" She sounded sleepy and content.

It was time for another non-relevant question. "Would you ever regret joining SPD?"

She shifted against him. "I didn't have a choice. Join SPD and get the cushy benefits of being a ranger or rot in prison. I don't see that as a choice - do you?" She yawned. "The crazy training schedule and demands are a drawback to an otherwise great deal."

"Oh - okay."

So none of them had had a choice about coming to SPD - except for Sky. Why was it that all of them except for Sky fell into the patterns that each of them had been noticing since Paris started investigating all their parents?

Was SPD really the deciding factor about all of it?

He closed his eyes, feeling himself drift off into sleep, where things like that didn't matter any more.

* * *

Sky was dozing lightly. Syd smiled and ran her nails up his bare shoulder, stifling laughter as he twitched, but didn't wake up. One of his arms was around her waist and the other around her shoulders, effectively keeping her in his embrace. She didn't mind - it was safe and secure being in his arms. Soft, smooth skin over hard muscles… she rested her head against his chest, breathing in his scent and listening to his heartbeat.

She closed her eyes, the distant memories from before the adoption suddenly bombarding her. The bay and the boats… She could remember standing on a pier, watching the boats come and go, holding Paris' hand… someone had told them to hold hands and stay together, but who had told them? Austin had been crouched on the pier, fiddling with the sail on a toy sailboat he had. What had happened to that toy? Where had the bay and the boats even been?

For some reason, she thought a picnic was also associated with that memory. It was so hard, trying to remember something that was so elusive. Most things before she started kindergarten were a blur - and the adoption had taken place when she had been four. She remembered running through backyards in a middle class neighborhood - and that couldn't have been after the adoption because her adopted parents lived in a mansion. There was also a vague memory of Peanuts sitting under a Christmas tree with a red bow tied around his neck. That had been before the adoption too.

Why, then, couldn't she remember her parents or any authority figure? Boats, picnics, Christmas… where were the parents in all of this?

Paris and Austin remembered about as much as she did, although there were some memories of their first day of school - the teacher had been a Miss Jones, but neither could remember the name of the school. There were other people in the memories, but their faces had faded to just a blur. Blonde hair, sandy blonde hair, blue eyes, even someone with a mustache… but there was not a name or identification to go with them.

Syd sighed, recalling the last letter she received from Austin. He had sounded slightly annoyed. _Don't let Paris drag you into her wild goose chase_, he had written. _I know she means well, but there's no way we can find anything until we get much more money - and no one is going to loan us that money right now. Keep me posted._

"Sky?"

He shifted, opening his eyes to focus on her. "Yeah?" he replied, stifling a yawn and stretching one arm over his head.

"Do you remember anything about your life before you were adopted?"

Sky looked a little startled at the question. "Sure," he said slowly. "I remember a swing set in the backyard - and swinging on it." He then shrugged. "Of course, I was only three when my dad first became my guardian."

"You don't remember anything else?"

He shook his head. "I was three," he repeated. He propped himself up on one elbow, pushing a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. "Why the sudden interest?"

"Austin said once that it was a wild goose chase, trying to find our real parents." She paused. "He doesn't know all that we've found out, but there's too much similarity for things to be a coincidence."

"Bridge and Z would agree to that."

"And you?"

Sky was silent. "I don't know what I agree with - the raw facts don't line up for me. But…" He trailed off, running a hand through his hair.

"But what?"

"It's going to sound crazy."

"What?"

"I remember the swing set from before I was adopted, but I also remember there being a butler." Syd stifled a laugh. "No," he said quickly, his eyes serious. "I swear to it. I think he was telling me it was time to come inside."

"Maybe your real parents are rich?"

"Which begs the question why I was given up for adoption." He sighed. "My dad doesn't talk about it - how he became my guardian, that is."

Syd gazed at him for a minute, her eyes meeting his. He had blue-gray eyes that seemed to have just a touch of hazel around the center. It made her wonder where he got those eyes from - where her and her siblings got their blonde hair from, where any of them came from. "I think it's time we all got some answers," she whispered, then glanced at her clock. It read ten-ten in glaring red numbers. She swore. "We've got to hurry or we're busted!"

* * *

Paris stared at the data pad in front of her and the piece of paper next to it. There was no way she could convey what Maya had told her into words that would make sense on paper. After she had spoken with Maya, it had been only too easy to collect the rest of the information that she needed on all their parents - Mrs. Corbett had even been able to tell her the cities and general locations of where they had last lived. It proved correct - none of them had moved in almost fifteen years.

Maya and Mike were coming from Mirinoi and would arrive early in the morning, two mornings from now. In a little over twenty-four hours, Bridge would be reunited with his parents. She didn't know why she keeping this from all of them… but it seemed more efficient than letting them and their emotions run rampant. Paris felt guilty, but, since it would all work out in the end, it seemed like wasted breath. And Cruger… when he found out that his ex-employees were on their way looking for their children, what would happen?

It shouldn't matter.

She stared at the piece of paper and began to write in a number code - two numbers represented each letter and Syd knew how to break the code if she could focus enough on it. It was a code they had used to write notes as children so their adopted parents couldn't read them and figure out what they said behind their backs.

There was so much…

Cole and Alyssa Evans were coming soon from Turtle Cove… She hadn't contacted Sky's parents since his situation was more complicated than the others. She had a bus ticket to Mariner Bay to see her and her siblings' parents, hoping that she could arrive without invitation and convince them of who she was. If everything worked out, she would bring them to Newtech City within two days. She had also sent Austin an urgent message, telling him to leave the Nebula Academy and come straight back to Earth.

"You found out."

She whirled around to find Dr. Manx standing in the door of the lounge. It was well after lights-out and she was the only one in the room. As quickly as she got the shocked expression on her face, she wiped it off. "Found _what_ out?" she questioned coldly.

"Who your parents are."

It wasn't a question, but a statement.

"What if I did?"

Dr. Manx just cracked a small smile. "I'll erase your parents' names from the list of people who have restraining orders within Newtech City." She paused. Paris gaped at her. "So that they can get to the academy without Cruger knowing right away." The cat-woman turned to go.

"Why?" The question burst out of her and she couldn't stop it.

Manx turned back. "It's complicated." She let out a long breath. "Suffice it to say that I thought we did was right a long time ago, but that has since changed."

"I know that none of us were voluntarily put up for adoption."

"That's true."

Paris stared at her. "What actually happened?"

"You'll find out very soon… very soon."

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** Garg! I didn't have all the equipment I needed for my internet connection when I got to my room and the IT guys have just now brought all that stuff and fixed it. My apologies! I hate unforeseen technical difficulties. Thanks to Kaidence Ledger for beta fishing this chapter and to everyone who has read and reviewed this piece! It's been completely awesome - I hope it lasts until the end of this piece. 


	21. the Last Moon

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

**Chapter Twenty: the Last Moon**

"She's what?"

Syd bolted up from where she had been sitting in the lounge and whirled around to face Conner. The Red Ranger had just handed her a data pad that made her want to throw the offending item out the window and hunt down her sister in order to demand answers.

"Bad news?" Conner asked mildly. He was reading his own data pad – and it was either inner office or something SPD related. It hadn't escaped the notice of the rest of the B-Squad that Conner hadn't been functioning on all levels since their weekend at the cabin. Her and Z had decided it either had something to do with Kira Ford, one of the teachers he had been seeing or his daughters, but no evidence to point them one way or the other had come up.

"Paris is dead!" she spat, throwing the data pad on the couch and stalking out of the room towards the officer apartments. Her sister had sent her a memo, saying she was leaving SPD – and not just leaving SPD, leaving SPD tonight! This was the woman who had claimed she was staying to be with her little sister, because she didn't have enough money and all kinds of other excuses and now, without warning, she was just leaving? It didn't make sense – not coming from someone like Paris.

She didn't bother announcing herself – she just walked into Paris' apartment. Her older sister was putting her clothes into her backpack, like she was just taking another one of her bus trips to get some 'answers.' Paris looked up with a neutral expression.

"You're leaving?" she cried. Syd knew that she was screeching, but she didn't care. This was an insane move on Paris' part and she wasn't about to let her throw her life away.

"Yeah." There was no anger or sarcasm in her words. It had just been a simple admission that the statement was correct.

"Where are you going? Do you even have a _job_?"

"Mariner Bay and no." Paris continued to put her folded clothing into the backpack, getting up and putting a shirt from her closet in the bag.

"Do I want to know why you're going to Mariner Bay?"

Her sister stopped and looked her at her – her blue-gray eyes looked pained and carefully guarded. "I'll tell you," she said slowly. "Just not now."

"What?"

"Syd! I will tell you – I just need some answers first. Hopefully, I'll be back in a day or two and I'll know what I need to know."

"You won't have a job," she said flatly.

Paris winced, as if the words had struck her. "I know."

"You know? And you're leaving anyways?"

"I don't expect you to understand right now, but you will." She paused. "I promise that you will know."

"This isn't another one of your ways to try to protect me, is it?" Now that she had gotten her initial outbursts out of the way, she felt an intense anger burn. Paris had tried to protect her for so long. From what, Syd had never found out, but she had – scaring off potential boyfriends, asking about her social life all the time, even wanting to know what went on in her ranger training… well, enough was enough.

Paris remained silent.

It was enough for her. "You can stop trying to protect me! I'm eighteen years old! I don't need you to shelter me from the world!" She paused and shook her head. "You didn't scare off Sky like you did the rest of my boyfriends."

"That's because Sky is the first boyfriend you've ever had who has his head screwed on straight!" Paris spat.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You're an airhead! I don't know how you managed to become a ranger!"

"I am not an airhead!" she yelled.

"You are." Paris stopped suddenly, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You know what? This is ridiculous and getting us nowhere. I'm going to Mariner Bay and I'll give you a call in a day or two. Maybe then you'll have calmed down."

Syd narrowed her eyes and watched as Paris picked up her backpack and her purse, striding out of the room in her normal, fluid fashion that made most people jump out of her way. Who did Paris think she was? Some kind of god? All she had ever done since they joined SPD was monitoring her life and sheltering her. Well – it hadn't worked. She had ended up with Sky despite all of Paris' efforts.

Kicking at the edge of the bed, she left the apartment and headed for the lounge. She had been meeting the others there before Conner handed her the data pad. Conner had called some kind of informal meeting for the B-Squad.

It was seconds – it was days before she entered the lounge. Bridge and Conner were playing chess. Z was curled up on one of the couches with a magazine. Sky stood up the moment she entered, so she didn't see what he had been doing.

"Are you all right?" he asked and touched her arm.

All the anger faded away at his simple touch and she was left feeling betrayed and alone, now that Paris was leaving SPD. This was ridiculous! First she was mad and now all she wanted to do was cry. A tear rolled down her cheek and she furiously brushed it away.

"What happened?" Sky asked.

A moment later, she was standing there sobbing and hiccupping, relating the story of what had happened between her and Paris. Sky just stood there with his hands on her waist, holding her close to him, listening to the story with a bemused expression on his face. "And now she's leaving and I don't want her to!" she ended, almost wailing. Sky was shaking his head as he pulled her into a tight hug, planting a kiss on her forehead. "I'm being ridiculous," she muttered into his chest.

"No you're not," he replied. "She's probably still in the building, if you want to catch her." She pulled away from him and glanced up at him.

"She was just bawling her eyes out and her mascara's not even running," Z muttered in an undertone to Bridge and Conner, the essence of it being 'it's just not fair.'

"Sky can go talk to her!" Bridge volunteered.

"That's a great idea," Syd mused. Sky suddenly started to look like he wanted to run far away and hide in a corner.

* * *

'How do I get talked into these things?' Sky fumed to himself as he walked down the corridor towards the entrance lobby. He had a good idea that that is where he would catch Paris in the act of leaving. She still had to sign some papers and turn in her uniform and blaster – the academy was too well organized for her to leave without that happening. 

Since it was late evening, the lobby was almost devoid of life. Visitors weren't allowed in between the hours of nine and five the next morning. One person remained on the night shift to answer the phones. It wasn't hard to pick Paris out of the three people standing in the lobby – the other two were Dr. Manx and the woman on the night shift. Paris was nodding to Kat and the night shift receptionist about something, before handing Kat her uniform and blaster. It didn't escape his notice that she kept her communicator.

"Good luck," he heard Kat say softly to Paris.

The middle of the Drew siblings headed for the front door. "Paris!" he called, jogging the rest of the way to her. She turned with her hand on the door.

"Sky," she replied, a smile gracing her features. "What are you doing here?"

"Syd is pretty upset about you leaving."

"I know." She paused and opened the front pocket of her backpack, pulling an envelope out of it and handing it to him. "Give this to Syd. It will explain everything. She knows the code – we used to use it when we were kids."

He nodded, taking the envelope. He wasn't sure what else he was supposed to say to her in light of the situation. It should have been Syd here and not him – the Pink Ranger knew what needed to be said, not him. But between Syd and Bridge egging him on, he had caved to what Syd wanted. He wanted to curse them for knowing him too well.

"Take care of Syd," Paris said softly in an oddly strangled voice. She closed the gap between them, pressing a kiss on his cheek and stepping back as quickly as she stepped closer. Sky fought the urge to touch his cheek. This was Paris Drew – she didn't indulge in displays of affection for anyone, including Syd.

"I will," he whispered.

"I know." Her blue-gray eyes were clouded with emotion. She turned toward the glass doors that graced the entrance of SPD.

"Paris!"

They both turned to see Syd running down the stairs and straight at them. A look of intense concentration passed over Paris' features as she caught Syd. Sky realized she probably did that so that she wouldn't use her power reflexively – causing Syd to pass through her. "I'm sorry," Syd began to babble. "You can't leave! Austin's gone and now you're leaving! We'll all be split up all over the place!"

Paris took her younger sister's face between her hands. "It will be all right, Syd," she said softly.

"How? How do you know?"

"I just know. Trust me, just this once." Paris pulled her in for a tight hug. "I'll be back in a day or two."

"Promise?"

"I've never gone back on a promise yet."

With that, she pulled open the door and walked across the cement area in front of the academy and disappeared around the corner into the night. Syd let out a shaky breath. "I can't believe she's actually doing it," she whispered.

Sky placed a hand on her shoulder and handed her the letter. "This is for you. It's supposed to explain everything."

Syd nodded. "I guess we should get back to the meeting."

"Yeah."

They turned and headed back for the lounge.

* * *

Z shook her head, surveying the chaos that had entered her bedroom. Conner had called the meeting off since people kept disappearing. After that, things had started to happen really quickly. Syd had glanced at the letter Paris wrote her and, after decoding the first paragraph, insisted that everyone – herself, Z, Bridge and Sky – remain in the room until she was done and could read it aloud. She just wanted to know what the big deal was – it was just a letter. 

Syd was hunched over her desk with a pink pen, decoding the last page of the letter. Sky was reading a book, but not getting far since he would stare at Syd every few seconds. Bridge was sitting on her bed, looking worried, but not saying anything for once in his life. Z felt like putting on a CD and turning it up as loud as it would go, but decided that that would be counterproductive in the long run.

"Got it!" Syd cried suddenly. For the past ten minutes, she had been decoding the letter and sniffling, blowing her nose and wiping away stray tears. The announcement also caused a mass exodus to Syd's bed. Four people didn't exactly fit on one of the academy beds, but they found room somehow. Z found herself pressed up against Bridge, using him for balance.

"Read it!" Bridge urged her.

Syd took a deep breath – Z wanted to roll her eyes at the theatrics. "Dear Syd," she read aloud. "I've found out who all our real parents are. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, but there were a couple things I had to work out."

The four of them exchanged dumbstruck looks. Z felt her heart begin to beat wildly within her chest. All her life she had wondered who her real parents were – why they would give her up for adoption? It had driven her and here it was.

"I'm going to start youngest to oldest, because that seems fair," Syd continued to read, her hands shaking as she grasped the paper. "Bridge—"

The Green Ranger looked strangely calm and determined.

"Your parents are Mike and Maya Corbett. Mike was and still is an officer with the GSA – he was second-in-command on the space colony, Terra Venture. He's originally from Angel Grove, California on Earth. Maya is a native of Mirinoi – where Terra Venture landed. They still live on Mirinoi and are taking the next shuttle to Earth. They should be here early Saturday morning. You're an only child – with a lot of cousins you didn't know you had. You were also born on Mirinoi – in the City Dome of Terra Venture."

Bridge forced a laugh at that. His blue eyes looked terrified at the same time as they looked overjoyed. Z threaded her fingers through his. So Paris had been right in her assessment that Bridge was at least partially Mirinite. He hadn't even been born on Earth. "I don't believe it," he whispered. Z gently pressed a kiss to his earlobe.

"Z—"

"Oh my God," she muttered.

Syd gave her a pointed stare, glancing back to the letter. "Your parents are Cole and Alyssa Evans. Cole was born in Turtle Cove as was Alyssa. His parents were explorers and he spent most of his childhood in the jungles of Africa. Alyssa grew up in Turtle Cove. Your father is a vet, while your mother is a kindergarten teacher. They live in Turtle Cove still. Like Bridge, you're an only child and you were born in Turtle Cove. Cole and Alyssa should be here early Friday morning."

Z exchanged a glance with Bridge – that was tomorrow morning! She tried to digest all the information she had just been given. It was almost too much – to go from knowing nothing at all to knowing all the basic information she had been denied since she was three.

But Syd was continuing with the letter. "Syd, our parents are Carter and Dana Grayson. They live in Mariner Bay – Carter is a firefighter and Dana is a pediatrician. They both worked for Lightspeed at one point in time. We were all born in Mariner Bay. I'm going to Mariner Bay tonight and I'll be back in Newtech by Saturday at the latest. Austin should be on his way back from the Nebula Academy soon."

The Pink Ranger looked up from the letter. "The boats…" she murmured, but went back to the letter when Sky nudged her.

"Sky," Syd continued reading. "Your situation is more complicated. Your adopted father, Eric Myers, is actually your godfather. Your real parents are Wes and Jen Collins – they're the billionaires that own Bio-Lab and the Silver Guardians. They live in Silver Hills and that is where you were born. According to Maya, the original plan must have been to collect us in ones and twos, quietly, but your parents sent you away with Eric in order to hide you. You were also conceived in 2002, but because your mother is a Time Force officer, from the future, time jumps caused you to be born in 2000. I haven't contacted anyone from your family – you and Eric can decide how to go about it."

Sky looked confused. "My… godfather?" He sounded unsure of himself – and it was almost frightening coming from the Blue Ranger. He was never unsure of anything that had to do with himself. Maybe things with Syd threw him for a loop, but still…

It was the same thing that all of them felt. They hadn't been lied to, per se. Each of them went through something different in their childhoods. Bridge had the parents who sent him to SPD and then lost their adopted child in the process. Z had grown up on the streets, driven by an insubstantial memory of something better. Syd, Paris and Austin coped with the rich parents that wanted them in the spotlight of whatever they did. All of them had their pasts obscured by their presents. But Sky… he had the normal father who let him chose what he wanted. She could see the gears turning in his mind. He was the one that had the true choice of whether or not to join SPD – and he joined anyways, falling straight into what was wanted.

"There is more to all of this," Syd continued, shifting a fraction of an inch closer to Sky. "But your parents will tell you in due time. I'm not even sure of all that has happened. From what I can tell, Cruger and SPD played a huge role in all our adoptions – and none of us were given up willingly. Most of us were required to join SPD at age fifteen as a term of our adoptions.

"You guys can call me on my cell phone if you want to talk (and if it hasn't been shut down because I haven't paid this month's bill.) However, I can't tell you much more than what is in this letter. Good luck, guys. Paris."

Syd looked up from the paper and looked around the group. All of them were silent, turning over the information that had just been given to them. Her parents and Bridge's parents were on their way here right now. Paris was going to see her and Syd's parents right at that moment. Sky still had to talk to his adopted father.

"Wow," Z said softly.

"How did she do it?" Bridge added. "She's had no luck for years and she suddenly finds everything she needs within twenty-four hours?"

"I don't know," Syd replied.

Sky remained silent. Z gazed at him, almost feeling sorry for him that things were not as cut and dry as they were with the others. He suddenly stood up. "I'm going to turn in," he said hoarsely. "See if I can leave tomorrow morning." Syd squeezed his hand. He left the girls' room without another word.

"I should go with him," Bridge said as the door slid shut behind him.

"He's just upset," Syd responded.

"That's why. He may not admit it, but he needs someone when he's upset."

Syd nodded. Bridge gently kissed Z's cheek before he, too, left the room. Z stood up and went to her own bed. "This is incredible," she muttered. "I don't know how I'm supposed to sleep tonight, knowing that my parents will be here in the morning."

Syd just smiled sadly. "How are any of us supposed to sleep?"

* * *

Mariner Bay was relatively small, considering that it was home to the Lightspeed Aqua-Base and had once been the site of a demon cavern – and demons had tried to take the city over and destroy it so that their home would be theirs once more. There was one main street through the town and a small park with a fountain in the middle seemed to be the focus point. And, of course, there was the bay and all the boats there – both leisure and fishing. 

Paris paused by the fountain – the streetlights casting a golden glow over the water and sidewalk in the vicinity. The house she wanted was close to here – only a few blocks. She had a glimpse of the bay, as well as the residential areas. Shards of memories came back to her – watching the boats, going on a picnic near the water, running with Austin through the park… The school they had gone to was near here – she could recall walking by the fountain to get there.

Now was not the time to retrieve memories from her first five years. She took a deep breath and headed down the residential streets, glancing at her directions every so often. The houses here were well-appointed, middle-middle class. It looked like a sleepy neighborhood that didn't see much action – perfect for raising children… She let that thought trail off.

The lights were on in the house, even though it was nearing eleven at night, as she went up the walk. The lawn was neatly kept with minimal flowers as the only landscaping – no fuss. There was a weather-beaten wooden swing on the front porch – the porch was the width of the front of the house. She had a sudden flash of sitting on that swing when it was new.

It was now or never. She rang the doorbell.

There was some shuffling inside. A man peered out the side windows near the door. She could hear him throwing the locks back – he opened the door.

Her heart froze.

She was staring at Austin – except that the man was older and he had darker, sandy blonde hair, whereas Austin's hair was the pure, golden blonde that hers and Syd's was. This man had to be her father – Carter Grayson. She blinked and realized that he was staring at her with the same intensity that she was staring at him.

"I'm Paris," she said in a choked voice.

He stepped forwards, one hand brushing her hair behind her ear. Tears glistened in his blue-gray eyes. "I know," he whispered. She wasn't sure who leaned in first, but in a moment, they were in each other's arms. Her father… she had never known the embrace of a true father and she didn't want to let go. She was vaguely aware of him calling for her mother, Dana, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was that she was home. 

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note: **Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing! The support from the last chapter just about blew me away. Thank you so much! From now on, I will try to post things in a more timely fashion, so hang in there. Cheers! 


	22. Star of Morning I

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

**Chapter Twenty-One: Star of Morning I**

Her morpher was beeping. Z groaned. She didn't remember falling asleep last night – she remembered changing into her pajamas and starting on a book that Bridge had loaned her. Her mind had been churning last night and she hadn't been sure that she could sleep. The book was still in her bed, opened to the page she had been on. The clock read seven-thirty – meaning she had slept through the wake-up call as well. Syd was still in bed asleep from the looks of things.

The beeping got louder.

"All right," she muttered, grabbing the device. The moment she sat up, the events of the previous night came tumbling back to her. Heart hammering, she opened the morpher. "Delgado here," she said quickly. It was the standard message when one answered a non-urgent link.

"This is Hal at the front desk," came an unfamiliar male voice. The front desk meant he was in the lobby, where visitors checked in. Z swung her legs down off her bed, searching for a pair of shoes to shove on her feet.

"Hey," she said, trying to speed along the formalities.

"I've got two people down here to see you, but you don't have any record of formal visitors coming to see you and I just—"

"It's fine," she said breathlessly. "I'll be down in a second!"

The only shoes that she could find were a battered pair of flip-flops that had once been shower shoes, but now were shoes for kicking around her room since she and Syd had a private bathroom. She clipped her morpher to the waistband of her pajama bottoms, ran her fingers through her hair and hurried from the room. The halls were starting to fill up with people trying to make breakfast before their shifts and training sessions started at eight. Most people were sleepy and not too alert, but the cadets that made up the C-Squad and D-Squad stared at her in open amazement as she rushed passed them in her pajamas.

The lobby was the only place that was still dead. Most people didn't show up for business or visiting until after nine. The receptionist – Hal, she supposed – was sitting behind the desk and two people were sitting in the chairs reserved for visitors. Both of them stood up when she entered the lobby. The man had longish black hair was seemed a little on the wild side, blue eyes and was built solidly. The woman had darker skin, with light brown hair and brown eyes. Z felt a flutter of recognition.

_My parents_, she thought. Then a whole range of question ran through her mind. How was she supposed to address people that she hadn't seen since she was three? Not that she had anyone else in her life to call her parents, but still… These were the people that had loved her – the people from the memories that Bridge kept seeing in her blanket.

"Z?" the woman asked tentatively.

"This is, uh… Cole and Alyssa Evans," Hal offered. "You know them?"

"They're my parents," she replied softly.

"Oh, uh—"

Z whirled around to face Hal. "They are with me." He paled under her glare – the man had to be lower level and was afraid of pissing off an upper level cadet who also happened to be the Yellow Ranger on the B-Squad.

Alyssa stepped forward, closing the gap between them, one hand brushing her cheek. "I can't believe it," she whispered. "After all these years…"

"I can't believe it either."

Z wasn't sure who stepped forward first, but she found herself wrapped in her mother's embrace, tears stinging her eyes. Alyssa released her and passed her on to her father. He hugged her just as tightly. She had so many questions about why her parents would put her up for adoption, but she had a feeling that none of it was voluntary, judging from the reception that she was getting from them.

"We thought we had lost you forever," Cole said.

Z smiled. "Apparently not." She paused, taking their hands. Now that her parents were here, she didn't want them to go away again. "Come on. I'll take you up to the lounge and you can get some breakfast on my key card."

"What do you do here?" Alyssa asked, shifting so that they were linking arms. "Paris said that you were here – at the academy – and that this is where we could find you."

"I'm a ranger," she replied. As they left the lobby and headed for the hall that led to the lounge and the upper levels, she caught movement in the corner of her eye. Kat was standing just around the corner, a smile on her face. She nodded. Z shook her head, wondering what Kat was doing there. "I'm the B-Squad Yellow Ranger," she continued, faltering for just a moment.

Cole and Alyssa exchanged a dark look.

Z glanced at them. "But what about you? Don't you have to work?"

Her parents exchanged another glance and laughed. "Come on," her father said with a smile. "Breakfast is starting to sound like a good idea."

* * *

Cole Evans smiled to himself as he watched his wife and daughter have an animated discussion about the quality of institutional food. Alyssa was a teacher – and ate school cafeteria food more often than not. Z had been at the SPD Academy for a few months – and had been eating 'nutritionally balanced' cardboard from day one. She had changed into her uniform – he vaguely recognized it as a standard uniform for most officers. Z's had yellow trim to go with her ranger status. He should have realized that Cruger would make the children rangers. The B-Squad rangers made the news quite often, but no one wondered about their identities.

So far, he had managed to avoid talking about the adoption. All Z knew was that they hadn't wanted to give her up – and that it would be better to wait until the rest of the parents showed up. He knew they were coming. Paris – one of the twins he recalled belonging to Carter and Dana – had contacted everyone and there was not a chance that they wouldn't show up here, if for nothing more than to see their children.

He studied his daughter, wanting to know what happened to her. Before he had been thrown in jail fourteen years ago, he remembered her as a happy child, her brown eyes always alight with excitement and joy. Now, most of that joy had been replaced with pain and sorrow. What had happened to his daughter that he could have prevented if Cruger had just let well enough alone? It hurt him to think that Z had suffered…

"This is so amazing!" Z was saying. "I don't remember much about you guys before this, but I have my locket and this baby blanket – and I had Bridge touch it. He said that he could see all the love that had touched the blanket before that, but he couldn't get specific images because the memories were old—" It was as if she couldn't get enough words out at once.

"Bridge?" Alyssa gave him a pointed look.

"Yeah," Z continued. "Bridge. He's the B-Squad Green Ranger. He's also psychometric, among other things, so he can pick up images and emotions off of objects – of the people that have touched the object that is. He's my boyfriend."

Cole sat up a little straighter. It was hard to believe that Z was seventeen – more than old enough to have a boyfriend and not need anyone to monitor them. He felt an ache in his heart when he realized that he wouldn't get to see her first interest in boys or scare off the boys that would try to chase her.

"There he is!"

The former Red Wild Force Ranger turned towards the door to the lounge as Z scrambled up from the couch to meet the people that were entering. Two guys came into the room – one with a blue-trimmed uniform and one with a green. Bridge had to be the one in the green. The guy in the blue was on his cell phone, obviously trying to get through to someone who wasn't answering. A girl followed them in, wearing a pink-trimmed uniform.

"Bridge!" Z called, taking the guy's hand and pulling him over to them. "This is Bridge," she announced.

"Hi!" Bridge replied with a small wave.

"These are my parents."

"Alyssa and Cole Evans," his wife replied with a smile, holding out her hand. Cole studied Bridge. His blue eyes vaguely reminded him of Leo Corbett – one of the Red Rangers that had gone on the mission to the moon with him. But Leo hadn't worked for SPD – however, his older brother had. Bridge had to be the son of Mike Corbett. He glanced at the ones in the blue and pink. The blue guy had the same eyes as Wes Collins, while the girl in the pink was a dead ringer for Dana Grayson.

Then it clicked.

Not only had Cruger brought all the children with powers to SPD – he had wanted them to become Power Rangers. That was exactly what he had done. Four of the five rangers on the B-Squad were the victims of the kidnappings all those years ago.

_But why wasn't Cruger aware of them being here, unless he was no longer at SPD? Why wasn't he stopping them? They shouldn't have been able to even get into the heart of Newtech, let along inside the SPD Academy. What was going on?_

He had a suspicion that there was more going on than what met the eye.

"Morning, Conner!"

Cole turned again to get a glimpse of the newest arrival. A man in a red-trimmed uniform came in, carrying a couple of data pads. He was older than the rest of the B-Squad – perhaps in his early or mid-thirties.

"We've got a free day!" he called to the other B-Squad members.

"That means we're not officially on duty," Z translated. "We're just on call." She paused. "We can roam around the grounds and do what we like, we just can't leave the grounds."

"I'm going to take off then," the guy in the blue told Conner.

Conner nodded. "Stay safe, Sky," he replied, clapping Sky's shoulder. He nodded and then left the lounge.

"Conner!" Z called. "Come meet my parents!"

Cole just smiled and resigned himself to another round of introductions.

* * *

The house was quiet as Sky let himself in and locked the door behind him. It was still mid-morning – his father wouldn't be home from work until late that afternoon. No – his adopted father, not his real father… Sky inwardly cursed as he moved to the back of the house to his bedroom. The only memories he had of another family involved a swing set and a butler, which made sense, now that he knew his real parents were billionaires.

His room was exactly as he had left it a few months before – shortly after he, Bridge and Syd had become Power Rangers. It had been a chance for him to wind down and cope with the disappointment of being made the Blue Ranger. The room was neat and devoid of life.

He dropped his bag on the bed. He wished that he was still ignorant of his real parents and his life until he turned three. He had been happy knowing that Eric Myers was his father – happy knowing he was the son of the Quantum Ranger, happy knowing that his father had once been the co-commander of the Silver Guardians… Sure, he had wondered about his real parents, but he didn't have a reason to complain. His father loved him – and he knew that his father's girlfriend, despite her surface indifference, cared about him too. He had been secure with his family, himself, even his powers growing up…

And he had the choice to go to SPD. It wasn't what his father wanted him to do – and it was the biggest fight they ever got into. He wanted to be a cop – a Power Ranger if he could swing it and SPD was the only place he could do both. Eric was a cop and a detective – Sky could remember when he had been going through the detective training. At the time, he hadn't been able to fathom why his father wouldn't want him to follow in his footsteps.

His adopted father was really his godfather. His parents had sent him away with his godfather at age three because of Cruger? He had been conceived in 2002, but born in 2000 because his mother was a Time Force officer? Sky was confused about the raw facts he did have. What the hell was Time Force? And what did Cruger have to do with anything?

_ Ignorance is bliss…_

Sky let out a long breath. He hadn't slept at all last night. Sometime around three, when Bridge had finally fallen asleep, he had turned out the light and spent the remaining hours until wake-up call watching the moonlight and eventual sunlight move across the ceiling.

He was exhausted and confused – and his father wouldn't be home for another six hours, at the earliest. No answers were forthcoming until he could talk to his father. Quickly changing out of his uniform and into his pajamas, he got into bed, seeking the comfort and security of his childhood home. In a few minutes, he fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Eric Myers frowned as he pulled his car into his driveway. He hadn't even seen Sky yet and he could tell that something was wrong. Sky's car was in the driveway – or more, the junk bucket that he had managed to save up for. Normally, on the weekends that Sky actually could get home, he didn't show up until dinnertime or later on Friday – and he had to leave first thing Sunday morning… The fact that it was five in the afternoon and Sky was home already meant anything other than something good.

He grabbed his jacket and briefcase from the car and headed into the house. Nothing was out of place – that much was normal. Sky was never one for making messes – not even as a little kid. Eric yanked his tie off, throwing it on the coffee table with the rest of his things from work. The door to Sky's room was closed. Something was definitely wrong.

He knocked on the door to Sky's room.

"Sky?"

There was some shuffling before Sky threw the door open. He looked like he had just woken up, rubbing his eyes. "Dad?" he croaked. "You're home early."

"I might say the same thing about you."

Sky sighed, opening the door to his room all the way and moving back inside, sinking down onto his bed. He raked a hand through his hair. "You knew my real parents."

Eric felt an icy hand close around his heart at those words. Where in the world did Sky find _that_ particular piece of information out? God – Cruger and all the other crazies at SPD had threatened to kill him if Sky found out about his real parents. No… not now… he was not going to lose his life. Sky was twenty – more than old enough to have found things out on his own. Eric closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and trying to steady himself.

"Where did you find that out?" he asked softly.

Sky shrugged. "It's not important." He paused. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I haven't admitted to anything yet."

"It's true though," Sky continued. "You're my godfather."

Eric sighed. "Yes, it's true. Your father and I were partners – I worked for his father for about a year before we became partners. Your father and I went a prep school together for a while. We were close friends." He shook his head. "You have no idea how much it meant to me when he made me your godfather. I – I haven't been able to talk to him since he gave you to me so that I could hide you."

"Hide me?"

Now that he had started telling this story, Eric found that he couldn't stop. No one had heard this story, except for Taylor and she didn't need to have it repeated to her. "Your father joined SPD for a few weeks in 2001 – it was supposed to be joint research for Bio-Lab and the Silver Guardians."

"The companies he owns?"

"I'm sure he owns them now, but at the time his father still owned them." He paused. "He knew that his DNA had been altered from the experiments, but he didn't think you would be taken from him." Eric shrugged. "I was listening to a police band one night when you were three and heard Cruger organizing a hit team to kidnap you. Your parents did the only thing they could think of – had me take you away and hide you."

"But it worked, didn't it?"

He shook his head sadly. "No. Cruger found us two years later. He was ready to claim you a lost cause. I was allowed to adopt you, if I kept your roots a secret. Death always followed in the wake of people who didn't comply. I didn't want anyone harmed, so I followed the instructions."

"So I was the one with a choice," Sky whispered. "I didn't have to go to SPD like all the others had to." He paused, anguish written all over his face. "I walked right into his trap."

"You didn't know – and I couldn't tell you."

Sky sighed, glancing up at him. "But what about my mother?"

"Jen?" Eric let out a long breath. "She was a Time Force officer – from the year 3000. Time Force tracks criminals who escape through time. She kept popping up in our time – you were conceived the second time she came in 2002." He stopped for a minute. "But she went back to 2000 to track a criminal and then found out she was pregnant. Time Force told her to stay put. Your father came back to see your birth – and you guys had only been a family about six months when we left."

"Were my parents married?"

"Once all the time stuff sorted itself out, yeah."

Sky looked like he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him right there. He pressed a hand to his forehead, leaning towards the ground. "I am the odd one out," he murmured. "The others all have the same thing that happened to them, but I don't."

Eric didn't need to be told what others – Bridge, Z and the Grayson kids. He wondered which one of them found out about their parents, how many of them knew that Cruger was behind their senseless abductions.

"I wish I didn't know any of this."

He turned his gaze to his son. Sky was his son, no matter what blood dictated or what others' thought, his godson had become his son throughout the years. He sighed and sat down on the bed next to Sky.

"It would be so much easier."

"I know," he replied. "If it makes you feel any better," he said slowly. "I've always viewed you as my real son."

Sky's gaze met his, that cool blue stare so much like his father's. "Thank you," he whispered.

He wasn't sure what happened next, but Sky was in his embrace, shaking with silent tears. Eric felt bad for him, knowing the truth and then wishing that the truth hadn't reared its ugly head. There was so much more to the story that only Anubis Cruger knew. He had tried his best all those years ago…

And then there was the matter of reestablishing contact with Wes and Jen. Now that Sky knew – and no crazed hit men were forthcoming – there was no sense in keeping his parents whereabouts from him. He had a feeling that they still lived in the same place. If nothing else, the former Time Force Rangers would want to see their son, just to know that he was alive and well. So they had finally come full circle… it was bittersweet. He didn't want to lose Sky to the billionaire parents who could give him everything, but… he was used to loss.

"We can go see your real parents tonight," he said softly.

Sky pulled away from him. "You know where they live?"

"It's probably the same place they've lived for years."

"I don't know…"

"Look, I knew both your parents for a couple years and they're good people."

"That doesn't make me feel better."

"I know."

They were silent for a moment. Wes and Jen were good people – and he didn't want to become the green-eyed monster in all this. He had been hanging out with a difficult woman for fifteen years and there was no chance they were getting married or having children anytime soon.

"Get dressed," he said to Sky, getting up. "We can go there tonight."

Sky nodded. He turned towards the door.

"Dad?" He turned back. Sky looked determined. "I'll always view you as my real father, no matter what."

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** I know some of you said in the last round of reviews that you felt like broken records in your reviews, well I'm starting to feel like a broken record in my author's notes. So let's just all be broken records together! Thank you so much for all the support and encouragement you've given for this piece so far! It's been completely awesome. 


	23. Star of Morning II

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

_When the last moon is cast over the last star of morning  
And the future has passed without even a last desperate warning  
Then look into the sky where through the clouds a path is torn  
Look and see her how she sparkles, it's the last unicorn_

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Star of Morning II**

Paris hadn't walked into the SPD Academy that afternoon – she exploded into it, running around like a chicken with her head cut off. No one in their right mind would argue with anything she said or did when she looked quite capable of simultaneously dancing on a table and ripping someone apart with her bare hands. It was frightening. Her older sister had never quite gone this… insane. Paris was the one that was cool, calm, collected – tossing clever insults in without making it apparent she had just insulted someone. She knew when to rebel, but it never included fireworks when it happened. She just did what she wanted.

But this… this was Paris to the tenth power.

Syd had just watched her sister from start to finish, wondering what she was accomplishing, since it was obvious that something was getting done.

It had started shortly after lunch. Z had managed to finagle her way out of being on-call for lunch so that she and her parents could go to one of the local restaurants. Syd had eaten lunch with Bridge – the first time in a long time the pair of them had spent quality time together. They had been close when the B-Squad consisted of herself, Sky and Bridge, but had drifted their own directions with the advent of Conner and Z.

Bridge looked awful – he was pale with dark circles under his eyes, like he hadn't slept very much last night. She didn't blame him. Insomnia had plagued all of them. He wasn't his normal, cheerful self either. That didn't make much sense. His real parents would be at the academy on Saturday morning.

"What's wrong?" she had asked, munching on her peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"My Jell-o tastes like mold."

"Have you ever eaten mold?"

"No."

"Then how do you know what it tastes like?"

"It tastes like mold!" he had insisted and held it out for her to try it. She took the small plastic cup and tasted the gelatin. Well – she wasn't sure that mold was the correct way to describe the taste, but it tasted off.

"We should have someone check the food replicator." She paused and gave him a scrutinizing stare. "What's really wrong?"

He poked at the mold-flavored Jell-o, looking uncomfortable. After a few moments of contemplation, he started to talk. "It's all this parent stuff. I mean my adopted parents are pretty insipid – what if my real parents are worse?"

So that was his problem. "I'm sure they're not. What about the memories from your dinosaur?"

"True." Bridge finally shoved the Jell-o cup away. "I don't really remember them. I just keep having this dream about running from something." He sighed. "Lately there's been an outline in it… of a woman." He shook his head. "I don't know what it means."

Paris chose that moment to enter the lounge and begin her insane afternoon that was something out of a bad movie. "Syd!" she cried, running over some lower level cadets who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Syd raised an eyebrow at her. She didn't look different, except for perhaps the flush in her cheeks. It was then that she took in the couple that had followed her sister in.

If she hadn't known anything else upon seeing those people, she would have commented that she looked a lot like the woman and that Austin was a dead ringer for the man. Her parents… her mind froze for a minute, her mouth hanging wide open and probably revealing some chewed up sandwich, just like a fish out of water.

"Our parents," Paris prompted.

She didn't even have time to think about that, because another patrol officer stuck his head in the room. "Paris! We've got to get rolling!"

She shook her head. "Tell Braddock to ID the body – we need a match as a soon as possible and get a passenger list for the bus. Break down their backgrounds, criminal records and possible connection to the victim."

Syd said the first thing that popped into her mind. "I thought you quit."

"Long story—"

"Drew!"

"I'm coming!" Paris snapped and disappeared.

The situation finally fully dawned on her. She was facing her real parents for the first time since she was four. Carter and Dana Grayson… her parents… "Sydney," Carter said softly. She just grinned and ran into her father's embrace.

"Oh my God!" she breathed, releasing her father and embracing her mother. "And this is Bridge," she added, motioning to Bridge who was watching the scene with a morbid kind of fascination.

"You must be Mike and Maya's son," her father said to him with a grin.

"I guess…" The Green Ranger looked lost. "Does Paris work homicide now?"

Syd shrugged. "She manages to get involved in some weird cases."

The initial reunion turned into an informal party in the lounge. Z and her parents resurfaced, revealing that the Evans and the Graysons knew each other. If nothing else, Cole and Carter had worked together before. Bridge disappeared sometime in there, probably hiding in his room from all the emotional currents in the air. Syd felt sorry for him – with the fact that his parents weren't going to be there until the next day.

Paris and the patrol officer from earlier charged through at dinnertime, arguing about how they were going to interrogate all the people from the bus in a timely manner – and whether or not they should start offering coffee.

"Just hook us up to a coffee IV," Paris had muttered on their way out.

Now, it was late – after lights-out for everyone else. Their parents had gone to their various hotels for the evening. Syd and Z had pulled Bridge from his room and made him come hang out in the lounge with them before they turned in for the night. Z was attempting to teach them a complicated card game, although it wasn't working because each player was supposed to keep his or her cards covered, but Z knew what they all had because she had to tell them what they could play and they couldn't play.

"Hey, kids." Paris came into the lounge looking utterly exhausted. She glanced at the cards lying all over the table. "You guys actually playing a game or is this a new variation on 52 Card Pick-up?"

"It was a game," Syd muttered, throwing her cards on the table. "I give up."

Bridge set his cards on the table and stared off into space as Z gathered up all the cards, putting them into a neat stack. Z glanced over at him and then wrapped her arms around his middle, effectively wrapping him up into a bear hug. The four of them were silent. Syd glanced down at her right hand – her father had given her the third of the three Tangarian rings before they went to the hotel. Hers had a pink stone – it was supposed to be a present for her fifth birthday, when Paris and Austin received theirs.

"We should turn in," Paris said absently.

"I'm not tired," Bridge replied.

"All right, then, what do you want to do?"

Bridge goggled at her. Paris _never_ offered to hang out with them.

"Let's play a board game," Syd said, wanting to do something – anything – to get her mind off the questions that were swimming around.

"One that takes forever," Z added.

"Monopoly," Paris said decisively. She got up to go get the game. Syd watched her leave, wondering if they were planning on pulling an all-nighter.

* * *

Sky felt like he was going to throw up – and he was freezing, despite the fact that he had the heater in the car up as high as it would go, probably annoying the hell out of his father. He just huddled in the passenger seat, shivering and trying to keep what little food he had eaten that day down. Ever since the weekend at the cabin, the nosebleeds had tapered off, but he still felt overly tired – sleeping at a lot of odd times he wouldn't normally have. 

Eric glanced over at him. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," he replied a little too quickly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You look like you're going to pass out."

"I'm fine."

The look he got in return for that clearly said _right_, but Eric probably wasn't going to push the issue any further. It had gotten dark – but he didn't miss the road sign that welcomed motorists to Silver Hills, where his parents lived. It was also the headquarters for Bio-Lab and the Silver Guardians.

Eric steered the car into a residential area, passing large, grandiose houses. Sky had no idea why he was losing his mind over meeting his real parents. From what Eric had said, they were decent people, who would understand his hesitations over welcoming them into his life with open arms. He hadn't been this nervous since the day he got his acceptance letter to the SPD Academy – and he had just been freezing that day, not ready to lose his lunch on top of it. He was regressing and he knew it.

The car started up a long drive that led to a mansion.

"They live there?" Even to his own ears, he was starting to sound hysterical.

"Did you miss the fact that they're billionaires?"

"No – I just didn't think they'd live in a mansion."

Eric sighed, looking tired. "Your grandfather built the mansion after he made his fortune. Your father has lived there pretty much his whole life – you lived there for a little while." He parked the car just outside the large double doors.

This place didn't look like anyone lived in it – it looked like a museum. The lawn was too perfect – the house was too neat, looked too new. There was no life here. Growing up, their house had always looked like someone lived there from the dying plants on the miniscule front porch to his bike carelessly left in the driveway. The house had always been pleasantly cluttered inside, not enough that it interfered with day to day activities, but enough that it was cozy and inviting – it was home.

Sky unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car, glancing over his shoulder to make sure that his father was coming. Eric got out and gave him a meaningful look as they went up to the front door. His father rang the doorbell.

It was seconds – it was hours before the front door opened. A butler, complete with the butler's tux ensemble, appeared. "May I help you?" he asked.

"Hi Phillips," Eric said.

The butler – Phillips – frowned, but then a warm smile broke out over his face. "Mr. Myers?" he asked in an overjoyed tone of voice. He then glanced to Sky, taking in what he saw. "And young Master Collins… Come in!" He pulled the door open and ushered them into a front sitting room. "Sit down! I'll go get Mr. and Mrs. Collins!" Phillips hurried from the room.

Sky blinked. Eric pushed him down onto a soft, leather couch. "Phillips," he muttered, shaking his head. Sky was strongly reminded of Alfred from the _Batman_ movies. He was losing his mind about this, but he hadn't seen either of these people in seventeen years – and remembered nothing about them.

"Sky?"

He nearly fell off the couch. A man had just entered the room – his father presumably. He had dark blonde hair that was disheveled and was wearing slacks and a rumpled dress shirt – working late personified.

Instead of falling off the couch, he shot to his feet, not sure why. "I never thought I'd see you again," the man said softly.

"Wes! Why are you staring at him?"

A woman appeared out of nowhere. She had shoulder-length reddish brown hair and was petite – wearing a blouse and straight skirt. His real parents… Wes and Jen Collins – the names clicked into place as he stood there staring at them, not sure what to do. Was he supposed to introduce himself? Phillips seemed to have taken care of that…

He wasn't sure what happened next, but both of them were hugging him and Eric, asking a million questions from where they had been for the past seventeen years to questions on whether or not Eric was still seeing Taylor.

"Shall we adjourn to the kitchen for refreshments?" Phillips asked over the din that his parents managed to create between the two of them.

Sky followed the adults into the kitchen. "Is it always this crazy?" he asked in an undertone to the butler that he remembered. Other snatches of Phillips floated back to him – the butler telling him to come inside, sneaking him cookies, bringing him a glass of water when he couldn't sleep… how did a three-year-old remember those things?

"It was quiet, until just now," Phillips answered with a warm smile.

It was apparent really quickly that his adopted father and his biological father had been close friends – judging from the catching up that they were doing. It felt odd. He never imagined that his real parents knew much about his father… This was certainly nothing like anything that the others were going through. Paris had been correct to describe his situation as more complicated than the others.

"How do you guys really meet?" he finally asked, because it was becoming apparent that, while they might have initially met at prep school, that was not when either of them became friends, nor was it when they became partners.

The three adults exchanged glances. Eric nodded slowly. "He's a ranger too," he said to Wes and Jen.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Sky confirmed. "SPD B-Squad Blue Ranger."

Wes and Jen exchanged a dark look. "We were all rangers together," his biological father started. "Jen and I were the Pink and Red Time Force Power Rangers." He paused. "Eric's power came from the same source, but me and him are from the present, not the future."

"All the parents of the children with powers were rangers." Jen paused. "Or most of them were." She sighed. "There was a double murder about ten years ago – the father had worked at SPD in 2001. No one knows what happened to their son…"

_Sam… we were all kidnapped by SPD… Cruger had us kidnapped because we have powers… because we have more power than ordinary humans…_

His head was spinning. There was obviously a legacy of the ranger powers that was missing from the training at SPD. It was too much information to digest at once. "Excuse me for a minute," he muttered, slipping through a glass door that led to the backyard. The yard held a large pool – and in the middle of the green area was a dilapidated swing set.

Sky walked slowly to the swing set, flashes of a summer day coming back – swinging as high as he could. The night air was cool as Silver Hills headed for the reaches of winter. He gently grasped the slightly rusting metal that held the swing high. Pulling down on the swing, he felt like it should have broken, but it held firm. He sank onto the swing, grateful that it held his weight and let him sway in the light breeze.

"You always loved the swing."

He turned to see Phillips standing near the swing set. "I remember the swing set," he replied softly. "I remember swinging. Someone was pushing me, but I don't know who."

"Master Collins," the butler replied with a smile. "You wouldn't remember who was pushing you – you were always looking forward, reaching for the stars. The people who were at you back, always helping you would fade."

"I'm so confused."

"It's understandable."

"On one hand, I feel like I should be happy because I finally know who my real parents are, but then I feel like I'm betraying my father, the person who raised me and loved me…" He trailed off, leaning against the chain links of the swing.

"It will take time," Phillips said gently. "Mr. and Mrs. Collins will understand that. They sent you away with Mr. Myers because they trusted him completely and knew that he would care for you in the same manner they would have. He loved you before you became his son."

"You know," Sky said, feeling a smile tug at his lips as he turned towards Phillips. "I do remember you."

"That is because I made it my responsibility to see that you had all the necessities that young boys require."

"Cookies?"

"And where would we be without cookies, I ask you?" Phillips gestured towards the house. "Come on. You are missed in the house."

* * *

Carter slid the card key into the door at the hotel. The light on the knob turned green and he pushed the door open, gesturing Dana inside in front of him. The past twenty-four hours had been a roller coaster of emotions that he hadn't known he was able to feel anymore. From Paris showing up on the doorstep last night to seeing Sydney for the first time since she was four… being able to give her the ring… 

Part of him wanted to insist upon taking his daughters away from SPD that moment and taking them back to Mariner Bay and allowing them to follow their dreams. But at the same time, he realized that they were adults – eighteen and nineteen and he couldn't very well force them to do anything. He and Cole had talked while their wives and the girls were occupied with something else. The kids knew the bare bones story – each of them had been kidnapped and they had an idea that Cruger was behind it. The pair of former Red Rangers had decided to wait until all of them were together – that is, all the parents – to tell their complete side of the story to their kids. For now, it was more than enough to be reunited with them.

But then there was Cruger…

Without a doubt, he was still running SPD, but something had been done to make sure that the reunions would go unnoticed by him for a while. How long that charade would hold, Carter couldn't be sure.

Too much had happened – he thought to his daughters, Austin who was still in another galaxy, the divorce papers in his desk that he hadn't signed… and then there was that picnic fourteen years ago.

"Carter," Dana said softly. She opened her arms. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close. He inhaled her scent, realizing how much he had missed her. It had been years since she sought physical contact from him…

Paris had been the catalyst. The moment she showed up at the house, they had begun working in tandem, as they had years ago. He could remember the time before they married and after the kids were born – and they had functioned as they functioned last night and through the day… He had thought he was losing everyone he held dear, until last night.

"I don't understand what came between us for so long," she murmured, her bright blue eyes meeting his own. Carter smiled and gently pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. The years had passed for each of them, but Dana was still as beautiful as she had been the day he married her.

"Grief," he replied softly. "A wide canyon of grief."

"Can we ever regain what we had before… all of this?" Before their children were taken, when their family had been whole, when they had been whole… she didn't need to speak the words anymore. He knew what she had been feeling.

"In time – I never stopped loving you, Dana, even when it seemed we were on different sides of the galaxy and speaking completely different languages. I still love you."

"Carter… I don't know what to say." Her eyes shone with unshed tears, her hands resting lightly on his shoulders. God, how long had it been since he even kissed her? They had stayed married for twenty years… how?

"Do you still love me?"

"Yes." It was nothing more than a whisper, but that single word made his heart soar. All of the pain that his life had seemed to be heading for started to melt away… It didn't matter. It was a long road they had to travel, but he could pick up the pieces and put them together.

"Then don't say anything," he whispered as his lips touched hers for the first time in a long time. 

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** Woohoo! I continue to be blown away by the response to this. Thanks for reading and commenting! Keep the great feedback coming! 


	24. Star of Morning III

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Star of Morning III**

It was quiet – finally. Conner sank down into the couch in his apartment, not quite believing that he hadn't put the pieces together sooner. Z's real parents showed up at the academy and a rush of recognition hit him. Her parents had been the Red and White Wild Force Rangers. The archives that he had watched for entertainment value in high school suddenly came back to him – and he wished that he could go down to the lab at Doctor O's house and just watch them. Syd's parents turned out to be two of the Lightspeed Rescue Rangers – the Red and Pink. From what the others had said, he could assume that their parents were also former rangers.

He thought back to that day. Since the rest of the B-Squad had been occupied with their parents coming, he had tried to get some of his piled up research done. However, once he had met Cole and Alyssa Evans, his mind started racing, so he gave up and headed back towards his apartment. It had been a few hours before the girls got out of school.

On the way to the apartment, he had passed Kira. She gave him a cool stare that made his heart drop to his stomach. But she had brushed past him – and he felt her put something into the pocket of his uniform jacket. He had felt a piece of paper, but hadn't taken it out or done anything of that nature.

Now – he pulled his uniform top from where he had dropped it over the couch and pulled the piece of paper out. He unfolded it.

_Conner_, it said in Kira's familiar scrawl. _Here's Doctor Oliver's contact information. I have a feeling that you're going to need it._

The number was not the same as it had been when he was in high school, but since his former teacher had moved on to bigger and better things, it was to be expected. He picked up the phone in the apartment, dialing the number. Glancing at the clock, he inwardly swore. It was nearing midnight – and most normal people wouldn't answer the phone at this hour.

The phone rang four times. Conner shook his head.

"Hello?"

He nearly dropped the phone at the sound of a familiar, albeit sleepy, voice. "Doctor Oliver?"

"Yeah," his former science teacher replied. "Who is this?"

"It's Conner McKnight."

There was silence on the other end of the phone. Doctor Oliver had to remember who he was – could someone actually forget someone they had been a Power Ranger with? He wasn't sure, but he hadn't spoken to anyone from Reefside in a long time.

"Conner… God, I haven't heard from you in ten years."

"More like fifteen."

"How have you been? What's wrong?" There was a pause. "It's midnight."

"I know… it's hard to explain. I'm the Red Ranger for the SPD B-Squad."

"You're a ranger again?" Doctor Oliver's voice held a note of surprise, but also pride. The Black Dino Ranger had been a ranger multiple times before, so there was no doubt that he would support Conner now.

"Yes, but something is wrong at SPD."

"Wrong? Like what?"

He took a deep breath. "I'm not sure. But people who were rangers before me are the parents of the B-Squad Rangers."

"That isn't surprising."

"It wouldn't surprise me – but each of them was put up for adoption at one point in time and had their last names changed to not reflect their parents or adopted parents. None of those adoptions were voluntary."

"Do you suspect someone?"

"Our commander – Anubis Cruger."

There was some fumbling on the other line. "I need the names of the other B-Squad Rangers, their real parents and whatever you can tell me about Cruger."

Conner released a long breath. It felt good to be able to tell someone all of his concerns – and have that person immediately take charge. He wasn't carrying the burden for four other people now. The other rangers – Sky, Syd, Z and Bridge – weren't much more than kids, not much older than he had been when first becoming a ranger. He wasn't quite old enough to be their parents, but it sometimes felt like he was. Now, he understood how Doctor Oliver had felt during their battle against Mesogog.

"Youngest to oldest," he said quickly. "Bridge Carson, real last name Corbett, his real parents are Mike and Maya Corbett. Elizabeth Delgado, real last name Evans, her real parents are Cole and Alyssa Evans. Sydney Drew, real last name Grayson, her real parents are Carter and Dana Grayson. Schuyler Tate, real last name Collins, his real parents are Wes and Jen Collins."

There was another long pause. "Former rangers," Doctor Oliver whispered.

"Yeah."

"What about Cruger?"

"He's a native of Sirius – the planet was destroyed about twenty years ago – and he is the only surviving member of his species."

"Anything else?"

"He established SPD on Earth and is the commander on Earth."

"Conner, listen to me, I don't know what's been going on, but I don't have a good feeling about it. You watch out for your squad and make sure they stay safe, along with their parents." He could hear Doctor O take a long breath. "I'll get back to you as soon as I can – probably by earlier this morning."

"You can get information that quickly?"

"I assume you know what my new job is, so that's why you called me."

Conner winced to himself. "Yeah."

"I have the best working for me. We'll get to the bottom of this. Take care, Conner, and watch out for your daughters."

He wasn't even going to question that. Conner just said his goodbyes and hung up the phone. Doctor Oliver directed a counter-terrorist unit – if anyone had access to more information that the public, it was him. It was the right thing to do.

For the first time in a long time, he felt like things were going to work out.

* * *

"What have you got for me?" 

Doctor Tommy Oliver strode into the deserted office, throwing his jacket on a nearby desk and pulling a chair up to the man at the work station. Ethan James tucked a pencil behind his ear, fingers flying over the keyboard. The former Blue Ranger's cover story was that he worked for the GSA – Galactic Space Alliance – as a top secret program designer. He was one of the best members on the CTU team in Los Angeles. If anyone could get the information he needed on SPD quickly and efficiently, it was Ethan.

"These rangers are whack," Ethan replied.

"Give me the basics on each of them."

"Youngest is Bridge Carson – birth date March 15, 2003. Biological parents are Mike and Maya Corbett." Ethan paused. "We know them as the Magna Defender and the Yellow Galaxy Ranger. He was given up for adoption in 2006, but the terms of his adoption were that he be given a random last name and enroll at the SPD Academy at age 15. Before his official adoption, his legal guardian was Eric Myers."

"The Quantum Ranger," Tommy muttered.

"Exactly. Adopted parents are a Brian and Marie Powell. He's currently an A-level cadet at the SPD Academy and the B-Squad Green Ranger. He also has genetic mutations that make him telepathic, psychometric and able to read psychic residue."

"What about his genetic mutations?"

"As far as I can tell, Mike Corbett worked for SPD for a few months in 2001 and was exposed to chemicals that altered his DNA. The purpose and results of the experiments he was involved in are classified and it would take too long to break into them."

Tommy let out a long breath. This situation was already spiraling into dangerous territory. The office was eerie late at night with no one except themselves in it – and there was a distinct possibility that they would be turning in their resignation letters in the morning. "Continue with the rangers," he said quietly.

Ethan brought up his next screen. "Elizabeth Delgado – birth date March 11, 2003. Biological parents are Cole and Alyssa Evans – also known at the Red and White Wild Force Rangers. She was also given up for adoption in 2006 and placed in a group home in LA. She ran away in 2009 and wasn't heard from again until she enrolled at the SPD Academy in 2020. She also has a list of petty crime charges a mile long."

"She was left on the streets?"

"Looks like that's the case. She has the same rank as Carson, except that she's the Yellow Ranger. Her genetic mutations allow her to replicate herself."

"Which parent worked for SPD?"

"Alyssa Evans, before she was a ranger – and, before you ask, she was involved in the same top-secret experiments as Corbett."

This was starting to add up. "Who else?"

Ethan was off typing again. "Sydney Drew – birth date April 9, 2002. Biological parents are Carter and Dana Grayson – the Red and Pink Lightspeed Rescue Rangers." He shrugged as if to say that that was expected. "Given up for adoption in 2006, she was immediately adopted and placed with Glenn and Melody Kensington, along with her older twin siblings. Terms of her adoption were the same as Carson's."

"Her siblings?"

"Twins – Austin and Paris – birth date February 7, 2001. Drew's the same level as Carson and Delgado – she's the Pink Ranger. Her brother is at the Nebula Academy where he's an A-level cadet and her sister is a graduated patrol officer."

"Genetic mutations?"

"Drew can turn her hands into whatever she's touching. The twins can phase. Carter Grayson worked for SPD in the same experiments."

"Who else?"

"Last is Schuyler Tate – birth date January 23, 2000. Biological parents are Wesley and Jennifer Collins."

"Red and Pink Time Force," Tommy filled in for him.

Ethan didn't miss a beat. "Eric Myers has been his legal guardian since 2003 and officially adopted him in 2005. He joined SPD in 2015 of his own volition and is the Blue Ranger. Genetic mutation allows him to create force fields with his mind." He paused. "Wesley Collins was involved in the experiments in 2001."

"How did it affect Tate?"

"Time jumps – he was conceived in 2002, but born in 2000."

"Interesting – tell me about Cruger."

"Refugee from the planet, Sirius after it was invaded and drained of resources by the Troovian forces. He was the only survivor." Ethan typed in a few commands. "He started a small branch of SPD in 2000 when he arrived on Earth, recruiting several renown scientists, including Katherine Manx. Helped establish and enforce the interplanetary immigration laws… Currently commander of SPD on Earth and he's roughly one hundred and fifty Earth years old."

"How is he connected to the rangers?"

"Funny you should mention that," Ethan said with a wry smile. He brought up a few news articles from Mirinoi. Tommy took one look at the headlines.

"You think he kidnapped the children and then made it legal?"

"Oh, that's exactly what he did. I also think that he recruited Conner because he found out about the Dino-Gem abilities."

"We're dealing with a paranoid commander."

"So it would seem." Ethan glanced up at him. "And he's done a great job covering this up all these years – no publicity, no publicized court cases, making sure that his actions could be considered completely legal so that no one can prosecute him, bringing the kids to SPD, keeping the parents quiet – it's amazing."

Tommy met Ethan's gaze. They had known each other for a long time – been rangers together, worked together – and they knew when they hit something huge. He glanced to the clock on the wall that told him it was nearing two in the morning. He had spoken with Cruger shortly after becoming director of CTU – and now the conversation made sense.

"What should we do?"

He sighed. "Call Conner in the morning and let him know we're on our way – call Trent now and tell him what's going on. I have a feeling that SPD is going to need all the outside support they can get once this gets out."

"Is it?"

"Conner wouldn't have called unless the parents started showing up."

Ethan smiled, a renewed sense of purpose on his face. "It won't be hard to get Trent up here – last I heard, he was taking some time off from Anton Mercer Industries and working on a new comic book series."

"Make it happen." He turned towards his office.

"What are you going to do?"

"Call someone at SPD and find out what exactly has been going on there today. No one messes with former rangers and ultimately gets away with it."

Ethan grinned and picked up the phone at his work station. Tommy nodded as he disappeared into his office. Someone had to know what was going on – and he knew three of the parents involved in this along with a reliable contact at SPD. It looked like he, Ethan and Trent were going to get back into action before too much longer.

* * *

Trent Fernandez had come to the conclusion a long time ago that when the phone rang between ten at night and seven in the morning it generally signaled disaster. Three such phone calls stuck out in his mind – the first being when his parents were killed in that accident at the archaeological dig. The second happened in college when he received news of his father's first heart attack. The third and final one happened five years ago when Doctor Oliver had been shot while tracking potential presidential assassins. That incident had sealed a friendship between himself, Ethan and Tommy – before that, he had been long estranged from his former teammates. 

"Hello?" he asked, dragging his mind painfully to awareness. His voice sounded scratchy and hoarse. He glanced at the clock – two in the morning.

"Trent – it's Ethan."

"Ethan, it's two in the morning. What's happening?"

"You know SPD?"

"Of course, they only patrol my neighborhood every night." Now that he had been able to wake-up, he wanted to know what was going on and not listen to Ethan get to the point in a roundabout fashion.

"The commander of SPD has a past that he has kept successfully covered for the past fourteen years. It has just now come to light and Tommy feels it would be in the best interest of SPD to have us there as a support system to keep things from cratering."

"What kind of past?"

"Kidnapped kids – legally."

"Impressive."

"And get this – all of the kids' parents are former rangers."

"Ouch."

"You said it."

"What are we supposed to do?"

Ethan sighed. "Other than be around to help parents pick up their kids and lock up once everyone leaves, I'm not sure. Remember where the CTU building in LA is?"

"Sure." The location of CTU was kept vague on purpose. Trent had found out when Tommy had been injured five years ago.

"Get here. Tommy will be off the phone with the SPD people by then and we can talk about what we can do to stop the situation from exploding to the media and ruining SPD as we know it."

Trent understood the implications of that. SPD was as good as the regular police force. In fact, some areas would be overrun if it weren't for SPD and the crime rate would skyrocket if the organization closed. They would need to quietly prevent the place from falling into chaos – especially since the commander would be through. Oh, he might not have any charges against him, but he would be run out of town on a rail.

"On my way."

"And there's one more thing, Trent."

"What?"

"Conner is the B-Squad Red Ranger and Kira is a teacher there."

Trent blinked, feeling the breath leave him for a moment. He clutched the phone receiver to his ear, afraid he hadn't heard correctly. He hadn't spoken to Conner in fifteen years, but Kira… they had gone their separate ways early in college, but that didn't stop him from thinking about her and wondering…

"Trent?"

"Yeah – I'm coming."

"Good – see you in a few."

He disconnected the call, looking for some clothes. It would be odd seeing the whole team together again. Things had gotten so difficult and now… he pushed all those thoughts out of his head and concentrated on getting ready.

* * *

Cruger, Paris, Kat… the triangle was coming dangerously close to exploding. Bridge didn't even need his powers to see that. Kat had been scarce all day – the one time he had seen her, she looked tired and haunted. Cruger was nowhere to be found. Paris had been charging around the academy like she still worked there and was more than a patrol officer. She was acting more like she was a ranger or worked for one of the specialized patrol units. 

It didn't make sense.

He sighed and rolled over, holding Z's blanket to his chest. It was strange being in the room by himself. He was used to at least hearing Sky breath or Z or… someone. Z had asked if he wanted to sleep in the girls' room, but he hadn't wanted to risk getting in trouble when his parents were close to arriving and, with all the emotional currents all day and the fact that he felt close to a breaking point, he hadn't felt like it would be a good idea to sleep in someone else's bed. In a way, he wanted Z here…

Burying his face in his pillow, he squeezed back frustrated tears. When he had first been conscious of his powers and tried to keep them from running rampant, he had shed a lot of tears, mostly in fear and anger. Now… he wanted someone here that he trusted – Sky, Z… He could go to the girls' room and Z would help him, but she was so happy that he couldn't bring himself to dampen that with his own worries.

"I don't know anymore," he whispered to the darkness.

He had learned in a short time to close his mind to the emotional currents and images that touched everything. The telepathy required concentration, but psychometrics, that just _was_. It was like erecting a steel wall around his mind in order to keep that in check, especially without the gloves. Being with the girls until a few hours ago had helped, but being alone in his room had brought it all back.

Envisioning a steel wall without any openings around his mind, he tuned out all of the psychic residue in the air that his hands touched. His parents coming here… he was afraid of Cruger – what would happen when he found out? What would happen to them?

Unshed tears burned in his chest. He was just afraid.

Curling into a ball, he allowed the sobs to overtake him, surrendering to the physical release of the anger and frustration and fear. Crying seemed better than exploding. 

_To Be Continued..._


	25. Star of Morning IV

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Star of Morning IV**

Gray morning light filtered through the curtains into the room. Long shadows crossed the floor as the curtains fluttered with the heater. Despite the warmth in the room, Bridge shivered and pulled his blankets closer around him. Cold… wherever Sky was, he was cold. And Z… she was full of euphoria and doubt at the same time. Questions surrounded both of them, trust and mistrust swirled in the air. His best friend… his lover…

He sucked in a deep breath. His throat was raw and achy from crying himself to sleep. His eyes felt puffy and swollen – a weak feeling had settled over his body, like he was getting the beginnings of a cold. He hated crying for that purpose. At one point in time, he had a theory about crying – it made a person sick so that their physical state matched their emotional state. Either that, or it was just a clever ploy to discourage tears.

Glancing at the clock, he groaned. It was four in the morning. After the emotional upheaval of the past forty-eight hours, he hadn't planned on waking so soon after finally being able to fall asleep. Paris' letter had said that his parents would be here later this morning – a time hadn't been mentioned, but he assumed it meant six or seven. He wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep.

Ordinarily, Sky would have been here and woken up to all his tossing and turning. He felt a pang in his chest. He missed Sky, a lot. Sky was the one person that was skeptical about his powers and their accuracy, unlike the rest of SPD who tended to view him as some kind of god who could control minds. Sky would have laughed off his feeling of impending doom, claiming that he played too many video games. Z would just shake her head and tell him that he thought too much.

"I need to do something," he said aloud. He wasn't sure why he was talking to himself, perhaps to prove that he was still alive and hadn't dreamed the past two days.

However, at four in the morning, his options on what to do were slim. The lounge was open at all times, so he could hang out there. Food was available at all times to those that didn't have a lights-out time. Technically, he didn't have a lights-out time, but he did have hours when he couldn't be in the girls' room. That ruled out going to see Z and Syd. He wasn't remotely hungry and the food replicator was probably still on the fritz. So, he wouldn't be going to get food either.

Letting out a frustrated wail, he buried his face in his pillow. He hated being stuck with his own thoughts – he didn't mind being in a room with someone and not talking, but he wasn't crazy about being by himself. He needed to do something. He sat up in bed and picked up his morpher, clipping it to the waistband of his pajama pants. There was an old coffeemaker in the lounge and he could get some coffee if nothing else.

The halls were quiet and eerie as he padded down them. He always hated the academy early in the morning and late at night. No one was around and it was strange. Normally people scurried around and there was so much life.

Just outside the lounge, he felt a mental brush, like someone barely touching his shoulder. What? No one else at the academy had the same powers he did, so no one could enter his mind forcefully. Plus he had been careful to block out distractions. Concentrating his energy, he waved a hand over the area. He glanced at the colors of the psychic residue. Whatever was touching him wasn't harmful – there were no traces of darkness or evil in it.

Perhaps… he carefully lifted some of the walls he had erected around his mind. The feeling flooded into him. Light, warmth… He felt whole again. The feeling felt like something he had been missing his entire life and had grown used to living with, until he didn't feel it anymore. A void he hadn't known he had was filled.

Without thinking, he took off down the hall. He wasn't sure where he was going, but he felt confident that his feet would take him there. What was calling him? Whatever it was, he didn't feel wary of it. He wanted to welcome this feeling. Soon enough, he found himself in the lobby. It was empty except for the night receptionist and a couple. He recognized the night receptionist as the person that was normally on the shift. But the two people…

"I'm sorry," the receptionist was telling them. "But I cannot contact a cadet until after five a.m. It's the academy's policy."

"I understand," the man said softly. "May we wait here until then?" He gestured to the various sofas and armchairs.

"Of course. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

Bridge let out a long breath. The feeling was radiating from them. Paris had said that his parents would arrive early Saturday morning – what if she meant 'middle of the night' which could be interpreted as 'early morning'? He took in a shaky breath.

The man was tall with a shock of dark brown hair that fell over his forehead. He had brown eyes and held a distinct aura of sadness. However, the woman had an aura of complete despair. She had long brown hair in a single braid and was thin and frail, like she had been ill for a long time. In fact, she still looked ill. The man helped her down into one of the chairs.

"It's been so long," she murmured.

"Another half an hour won't make a difference."

"We should have brought Leo and Kendrix… and Jara."

_Jara_… that was his middle name. Bridge had always wondered about it – if it had some significance or if it had been made up.

"We haven't seen him in fourteen years – he probably doesn't remember us. Besides, he doesn't need to be overwhelmed with family."

"I guess you're right." She paused. "I keep forgetting that he isn't a baby anymore."

Almost in a trance, Bridge walked across the lobby towards them. The night receptionist smiled at him. "Cadet Carson! I was about to page you. You have visitors." The man turned as the receptionist began to talk. He blinked and then a smile of recognition broke over his face as he stood up.

"Bridge?" he whispered.

Bridge turned to the receptionist. "My last name is Corbett." He walked towards his father, no more doubts and no more fear. He had no mental images of the people that he knew were his parents, but he didn't need them. Their presence and auras comforted him like a balm, making him feel complete. They weren't fearful of him like his adopted parents. They were joyful and loved him without question – they had loved him since he had been taken from them.

His father opened his arms and he fell into the embrace. "Bridge," Mike whispered, kissing his forehead. "We've missed you – you have no idea."

"I have an idea," he murmured.

"Bridge…" Maya had pushed herself to her feet. He and his father reached out to her, pulling her into their embrace. "I thought I would die when they took you."

"It's all right," Bridge whispered. "It's going to be all right from now on."

* * *

"Good morning, cadets. It's Saturday morning, so that either means you can buckle in for your cartoons and get ready for special training seminars."

Mike Corbett glanced up at the loudspeakers. Whoever let that particular girl do the morning wake-up call needed to re-evaluate things. He remembered the wake-up call when he had been a GSA cadet – it consisted of a loud ringing over the loudspeakers. This wake-up call was too cheerful and perky for his tastes.

"C-Squad cadets have a martial arts intensive with Sensei Omino and all B-Level cadets should report to the shooting range for training on those spiffy new laser guns."

He just shook his head and walked from the food replicator to the sofa where his wife and his son were sitting. A smile floated over his lips as he looked at them. Bridge was leaning against Maya. She was gently stroking his hair, a smile on her face. She looked so content and so happy for the first time since Bridge had been taken from them. It also didn't escape his notice that she ate a full breakfast – already on the road to recovery.

"And D-Squad cadets should seriously think about hitting the practice mats after your abysmal performance on a standard combat simulation."

The lounge was empty. No one in their right mind was up this early. Mike felt the fatigue from being up more than forty-eight hours, but nothing in the world could make him sleep. He handed a bottle of juice to Maya before sitting down on the other side of Bridge. His family was whole again.

"Morning, Bridge!"

Bridge looked up at the girl who just walked into the lounge. She was wearing a light pink sweater with a pair of jeans. Her blonde hair was loose around her shoulders, falling in waves. "Hey, Syd," he replied.

"These your folks?"

His son just nodded. "I'm Syd," the girl introduced herself. "Did you hear that charming wake-up call that Paris gave?"

"That was Paris?"

"Yeah – she's been reinstated into SPD and promoted to forensics, along with being allowed to give the wake-up call each morning."

Mike didn't have to ask anything more on Syd or Paris. He remembered Paris as being one of the twin children belonging to Carter and Dana. Syd was her younger sister – and the B-Squad Pink Ranger from what Bridge had said. It shouldn't have surprised him that Cruger had made his son a ranger and made him hone his powers for weaponry. Bridge was telepathic and psychometric, the combination of which allowed him to read psychic residue. It was an extension of more natural born powers – Mirinites were known for their limited telepathy and intuition.

"That is all!"

The loudspeakers clicked off.

Syd rolled her eyes. "Trust Paris to go slaphappy on us."

Bridge shrugged. "It will pass."

"Well, I'm going to see if I can get a hold of Sky and find out when he plans on coming back here – if he's coming back."

With that, Syd left the lounge. Mike watched his son's expression. It was clear that the four B-Squad rangers were close – the irony being how much the four of them had in common, aside from the kidnapping and their powers. The conversation hadn't rolled around to how he and Maya met – not yet at any rate. Each of the current rangers had parents who understood what it meant to be a ranger and knew the hardships that came with it.

Bridge closed his eyes, looking content. He was never destined to understand the kind of sixth sense that Bridge and, to a lesser extent, Maya had. But the blue eyes that Bridge had… it had thrown him for a loop when his son had been born. Then the analytical side of his mind caught up – and he realized that his family and Maya's were entirely blue-eyed. Bridge had the eyes that Leo did.

Explanations… too much had happened. So much of his life for the past fourteen years had been spent wishing and hoping – now he felt like he couldn't ever have the time to make up for Bridge's lost childhood. Those blue eyes were haunted. His son had felt pain.

"Hey Bridge. Syd said your parents were here." A girl wearing jeans and a long-sleeved black t-shirt with yellow squares had entered the lounge and was standing near them. Bridge immediately went from his childlike contentment to the adult that it was clear he normally acted like. He stood up.

"Yeah," Bridge replied running a hand through his hair.

"Mike Corbett," he introduced himself, standing up and offering a hand to the girl. "My wife, Maya," he added. Maya smiled at the girl.

"I'm Z… Evans." Her hesitation didn't go unnoticed.

"Z is my girlfriend," Bridge added softly.

Mike smiled as Maya's eyes lit up. She gave Z an appraising look, a note of sadness hidden behind the interest and joy. Lost childhood… he had seen his son's first words and steps, wondering when he would be bringing home girls, when his first school dance would be, if he would choose to walk the path that Maya's people chose or if he would remain with them in Terra Venture… He had wanted to watch Bridge grow up, watch the girls chase him… He glanced up to Z. He remembered her parents from the trials. She showed traces of both of them – Alyssa's hair and eyes with Cole's build and facial features.

"It's great to meet you," Maya said to Z. She was being sincere.

"Thanks." Z turned to Bridge. "I saw Conner in the hall and he said that some friends of his were coming soon. We should be ready when they get here."

Mike didn't understand what Z meant by ready, but it was obvious that Bridge did. "Where are we meeting?" his son asked.

"In here," the girl replied. "Conner said he talked to Sky and he'll be back within the hour with his father and his parents." She paused, a wry smile on her face. It was odd that she referred to Sky having a 'father' and 'parents' when they should have been one and the same. "The billionaires are out to sue."

"Great," Bridge sighed. "Conner wants us in uniform?"

"Yeah." Z paused. "I don't know what's happening, but we all need to be in here with our parents in an hour. I've got to go get dressed." She pressed a kiss on Bridge's cheek and hurried from the lounge.

Bridge turned to them, raking a hand through his hair. "Will you guys be all right with this?"

Mike opened his mouth to reply, but Maya beat him to it. "Of course." She held up the wrist with her morpher.

"You were a ranger?" Bridge whispered.

Maya nodded. "We both were."

"I didn't know – I knew there were rangers before us, but no one told us who—"

"Bridge," his wife interrupted gently. "Go get into your uniform."

Bridge smiled and then hurried from the lounge. Mike glanced at Maya and sank down onto the couch next to his wife. Maya hadn't looked this good in years – since Bridge had been ripped from her arms. There was still so much that needed to happen before life could even remotely resemble what it had fourteen years ago – and it still wouldn't be the same, but that small flame of hope that been rekindled into a blazing bonfire, ready to consume any opposition.

* * *

The command center was quiet. Granted, it was Saturday and most of the day-to-day work was done by the patrol officers on duty – so the room was generally peaceful. Today, it was wrought with tension and even the people who normally kept an eye on things in there were finding excuses to run errands and leave the room.

It boiled down to Cruger. When he was upset or on edge, he tended to snap at the cadets and have certain paranoid tendencies. Most people were skittish around him when that happened, but knew that the storm would pass. This time, no one knew what to make of the silence. He hadn't spoken to anyone and hadn't left his quarters which were adjacent to the command center.

He knew – he _had_ to know. The parents had been in and out of the academy all day and it was no different today. None of them had come with their torches and pitchforks for Cruger – not yet. All of them were still too wrapped up in the reunions with their children to have a death plan for Cruger yet. But it would happen and he had to prepare. Whether or not the commander of SPD would stand trial was debatable. He was just as likely to get out of town and disappear, but he would have to do something. This inaction was strange.

Kat let out a long breath, staring at the doors to Cruger's quarters. _She_ would do something if she had to. Too much had happened to pretend that it wasn't. The people gathered here were powerful – billionaires who owned the Silver Guardians and Bio-Lab, people whose relatives were in charge of Lightspeed… If the combined forces of the Collins, Captain William Mitchell and the Graysons came down on Space Patrol Delta, the Earth branch would be forced to shut down. All the cadets would be sent home with refunds and apologies. The officers would be dismissed and given two weeks' pay in lieu of notice, along with the rest of the support staff. Within a week, the grounds and building would be empty.

Space Patrol Delta did for Newtech City what the Silver Guardians did for Silver Hills – they were the police in the area. Crime would skyrocket, not just here, but all over. SPD helped people all over the world. It would be disastrous. Oh, Mr. Collins would send the Silver Guardians in to make sure of a peaceful transition, but it wouldn't be enough. Eric Myers, Sky's adopted father, was a detective with the Newtech City Police Department. He would know the impossibility of transitioning back to the police being the main defense.

Well – there was no time like the present.

She pressed the emergency override on the door and stepped into the darkened quarters. The commander's quarters included a bedroom with an efficiency kitchen and large living room. Several bags were packed and sitting by the couch. Doggie was nowhere to be seen. She frowned.

"Doggie?" she called.

The bedroom door opened and the commander stepped out. "Kat," he greeted her with a quick nod, moving into the kitchen with a box.

"You're leaving." It was a question.

Doggie stopped and met her eyes. "I have to."

"They'll want you to stand trial."

"An unofficial trial where I will end up fighting eight former rangers? I think not."

Kat took an unsteady step forward. "And then what? You'll remain in hiding the rest of your life? You'll ask the people you've dedicated your life to capturing to get you a shuttle off the planet?" She shook her head. "It's not in your nature."

"You don't understand."

"I was there when we took those children. _We_ took those children. You didn't commit those crimes alone. I'm willing to stand for what I did."

"I am not you. None of them will understand why I did it."

"They're not unreasonable people. I worked with most of them during those experiments. They are good people, but they will want to know why you ripped their lives apart." Kat shook her head, balling her fists. "Maya Corbett has been in fragile physical and psychological health since Bridge was taken. Carter and Dana Grayson had divorce papers floating around without all the signatures. Alyssa Evans has been on antidepressants at least twice. They will want to know." She emphasized the last sentence.

Doggie was silent.

"Yes, you'll have to leave SPD," she continued. "You've known that since this insane deception began. But won't it be better to come clean than running?"

"The new commander…" Doggie said weakly. "Has anyone contacted him?"

"I contacted Admiral Birdie and he's made the necessary arrangements for the new commander to start in about an hour." Kat paused, taking a deep breath. "How long have you known?"

"Since the Evans' got here yesterday." He gave her a wry smile. "You honestly think that by eliminating their names from the restraining order list I wouldn't find out?"

"That was so that they could get into Newtech unhampered."

"Whose here?"

"All of them and Eric Myers." Doggie winced at the memory of Eric Myers. Kat knew he had been wary of the man since Sky joined SPD. He was afraid that the man would reveal everything before someone could stop him. He hated Eric Myers… "McKnight has them all meeting in the lounge in a few minutes. He and Ford are trying to find out what they can from the parents before their back-up arrives."

"And the new commander?"

"Another hour – maximum. He's going down to the lounge to be briefed by Conner. Birdie wants me down there too."

"You honestly think that they'll let you remain here?"

"I don't know, but I won't run from the past. It needs to be confronted." She gave him a pleading look. "Please. You didn't do the right things years ago, but do it now. You'll be able to keep your dignity."

Doggie let out a long breath. "This is insanity." He paused. Kat could remember a time when she admired Cruger – it seemed so far away. "But I'll do it."

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** I made an Eric/Taylor music video over the weekend! (That's my insane news for the day!) But enough of me talking about the things I manage to do because I avoid homework on the weekends... I am convinced I have some of the best reviewers around. You guys are completely and totally awesome! I love getting reviews because they're great with good comments and observations. Keep up the awesome feedback guys! 


	26. Nowhere Is Home I

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

_Inside, outside – leave me alone  
Inside, outside – nowhere is home  
Inside, outside – where have I been?_

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Nowhere Is Home I**

"Ready?"

Ethan James gave his former science teacher and current boss a bored look. The three of them – himself, Tommy and Trent – were about to leave the CTU building in LA. Newtech City was close and, at this hour of the morning, it wouldn't take them long to get there. All of them had gone home last night to shower and get dressed. In other words, they were all wearing suits to look impressive.

"I'm always ready – except for that explosion seven years ago."

The three of them did look intimidating if nothing else. He had chosen to wear his three-piece, navy blue with pin strips suit that he had bought in order to go undercover at a political breakfast. He had a matching tie and sunglasses. Tommy was in all-black – black three-piece suit, black shirt, black tie, black shoes – like he had an inkwell dumped on his head. Trent had a gray three-piece suit with a collarless white shirt. Details like tie pins, watches and cufflinks were also designed to exude power – most of which was either gold or looked expensive. Nothing flashy, but just enough punch to get the message across.

Trent shrugged. He had spent most of his life waffling between working for his father and writing comic books. And he and Tommy had managed to bring a lot of CTU trouble Trent's way just by being friends with him.

Tommy nodded. None of them had slept very much last night – and today was shaping up to be a long day. Conner and Kira had promised to find out all they could before the three of them arrived, just to give them all the facts so a course of action could be decided on. All the biological parents would be there – including Eric Myers who worked for the Newtech City Police Department.

He took out three ear pieces and handed them out. "These will allow us to communicate with each other," he said, letting out a long breath.

Ethan nodded and took his. These were part of the normal field equipment for CTU agents. It enabled the people at the main building to keep track of the field agents and helped to prevent casualties. He wasn't sure why Tommy wanted the three of them to be able to keep in contact, but he did it anyways. Over the years of working for him, Ethan had learned not to question his former teammate's strange methods because they had saved his life on more than one occasion.

"We're clear on the assignments?" Tommy asked. "Ethan, you'll take Dr. Manx to the main command center and take a look at their systems and technology. Trent, you're human resources—"

"Deal with the parents, answer their questions, refer any problems to you, but make sure that I keep the B-Squad rangers in the lounge until you and Ethan have a chance to talk to Conner and analyze the ultimate fate of the Earth branch of SPD." Trent gave him a 'thumbs-up.' "I have been on field assignments with you."

Tommy just smiled. "I know." He pulled out his sunglasses and put them on. Ethan suppressed a smile and followed suit, as did Trent. "Show time," he muttered.

* * *

"Conner, I don't understand why we're getting involved in this. It's between Cruger and the parents and the rest of the B-Squad." 

Conner sighed and turned towards Kira. He had found her in her apartment early that morning and explained the situation. She agreed to help, especially since Doctor O was coming, but she had been reserved towards him, her attitude cool. He hadn't expected anything else.

"How bad is this?"

"You're the one that gave me Doctor O's contact information – you tell me!"

"I thought you would get him to get information – not come here to help!"

He stopped, raking a hand through his hair. "Look, it's bad. If the parents go the public with what Cruger did, then SPD will fall apart."

"You don't know that."

"Don't I? Kira, most of the people here, in this building, are underage cadets. If people find out how hard Cruger pushed the B-Squad, how he physically hurt them, then this place will empty fast and the officers and support staff will follow. No one wants their lives in the hands of a psycho."

"So you want a cover-up?"

"No. I want it handled in a manner that will not result in mass pandemonium."

"What are we supposed to do? Talk to all the parents?"

"If we have to, yes."

Kira stared at him. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"I've never been more serious in my life." He spun on his heel and headed for the lounge. Kira hurried to catch up with him.

"The others are coming?" she whispered.

He nodded. "Are you going to help us or not?"

"I'm helping you."

"Then let's go."

The pair of them walked into the lounge. It was devoid of normal life. The younger cadets tended to spend a lot of time in the room, playing video games and hanging out because they couldn't drive and there wasn't a lot else to do. Someone had obviously cleared them out. However, the room was pretty full. He recognized a lot of the people in the room. In fact, he recognized all of them. Nine former rangers were here along with four current rangers. It was a potentially explosive combination.

He took a deep breath. "Thanks for coming," he started. "I'm Conner McKnight." He gestured towards Kira. "And this is Kira Ford."

The four other B-Squad rangers and Paris were clearly visible throughout the veritable crowd. Z was sitting behind the coffee table, on the floor, with her parents on the sofa behind her. Her parents were Wild Force Rangers – the Red and the White if Conner remembered correctly. Bridge was sitting next to her, his parents in an armchair near him. His mother was in the chair while his father sat on the arm – the Yellow Galaxy Ranger and the Magna Defender. Syd was sitting on another sofa between her parents – the Red and Pink Lightspeed Rangers – while Paris was standing behind them. Sky was the one with a lot of people surrounding him. His parents were the Red and Pink Time Force Rangers while his adopted father had been the Quantum Ranger. All three of them were present.

"We've been explaining what we know," Maya said softly. "And it's not much more than what you have already found."

"I don't doubt that," Conner replied.

"We need some answers now," Wes Collins, presumably Sky's father, interjected. He was definitely a businessman and a billionaire. "This mess needs to be cleared up now."

It was going to be a long morning. "Look, we can't get any more answers until…" He trailed off. How was he supposed to explain to all these people that the director CTU in Los Angeles and his former teacher and teammate was coming here in order to investigate and provide stability for the coming chaos? It was going to sound ridiculous.

"The director of the Counter Terrorist Unit in Los Angeles is coming here," Kira swiftly stepped in. "He's going to head any investigations. A lawyer is also coming with him to handle any of the legal matters."

Lawyer? He gave Kira a confused look. She mouthed 'Ethan.' He frowned for a minute, but then it clicked. While Ethan was some kind of high-powered program developer with the Galactic Space Alliance, he had started out as a law student and had graduated from law school. The white lie there was that he never took the licensing test.

Mr. Collins visibly relaxed. His wife was shooting him a look that clearly said 'calm down.' Sky, still looking bewildered and overwhelmed, visibly shook, like he had a chill that he couldn't get rid of. Conner stared at him for a minute before continuing.

"I'm not sure what we can do, but we're here to help," he offered.

"Look," Syd's father said. "This boils down to Cruger and legal matters."

That much was true. Conner wasn't sure what had happened all those years ago, but from what Z had said, he gathered that each of the other B-Squad rangers had been kidnapped and hidden from their parents. The ultimate goal of that was to bring them to SPD and make them rangers. The current B-Squad rangers hadn't been aware that was the ultimate goal – Bridge and Syd and her siblings knew that they had been required to join SPD. Z was brought in with no other viable option. Sky chose to come…

He shouldn't ask what happened, but Doctor O had told him to get the facts from the parents. It was a mixture of curiosity and orders.

"Do you mind me asking what actually happened?" He paused. "From your point of view that is."

Everyone in the room, including Kira, was staring at him. He cut his eyes to Kira, wanting to remind her of what Doctor O asked him to do – and asking her to help.

Bridge looked up from where he had been formerly staring at a spot on the floor. Conner was shocked at the haunted look in his blue eyes. Normally, he looked a little confused, but mostly happy. Now, it was like something had snapped within the Green Ranger. He looked at peace, but also like he had suffered for it. His mother put a hand on his shoulder, whispering something in a language that Conner didn't understand. Bridge didn't look like he understood it either, but he let out a long breath.

"I can show you," he whispered.

"I can't ask you to do that," Conner replied immediately, memories of honing their powers for weaponry flooding his mind. Sky nearly passing out from a nosebleed, Bridge getting migraines on a regular basis, Z actually fainting… his own re-injury of his ankle and even Syd having raw marks on her hands.

"It's not like that."

It was like Bridge was responding to his thoughts and not his words.

_Conner?_

_Bridge? What are you doing?_

_Showing you what happened._

Conner felt a rush and then he landed into a memory that wasn't his own. He was in the Collins' mansion. Wes, looking twenty years younger, was holding a small child to his chest. Jen appeared from a bedroom, carrying a small duffel bag and a blanket.

_"What's going on?"_

_"You're going away with Uncle Eric. It's going to be all right."_

_"Un'ca Eric?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Wes?"_

_"The car's still running. We've got to get as much of a head start as we can."_

_"We'll always love you."_

The memory faded and changed. Instead of watching Sky being sent into the night by his parents, he was on Mirinoi. Mike and Maya were standing in their house – only Mike looked much younger and Maya appeared to be in good health. She was holding Bridge – he was wrapped in a blanket, holding that dinosaur stuffed animal that was in his room now.

_"Maya!"_

_"What is it?"_

_"They're here!"_

_"Who?"_

_"Cruger and Manx."_

_"We have to hide him. If we take him to the village and let Jara hide him somewhere with the villagers. They can disguise him and keep him safe so that Cruger and Manx stop looking for him. Take him to the village. I'll hold them off here."_

_"Daddy?"_

_"I love you, Bridge. Go! They're not going to get our son."_

Again, he was watching the memory change. This time, more people were gathered in the living room of a normal middle class house. He recognized Eric and Taylor Earhardt – the Yellow Wild Force Ranger. With them was Alyssa Evans. She was holding Z – at three-years-old – and looked to be close to hysteria.

_"Eric, none of you can have an inkling of what is at stake here. We have to take the children away for their own good."_

_"Bullshit!"_

_"Alyssa!"_

_"I don't want them hurting my family!"_

The living room changed. Three children were sitting on the floor playing a game. The blonde hair gave away who they were. Carter was hovering in a doorway, watching them with a grim expression on his face. He stepped forward into the room. The children looked up at him, abandoning their game.

_"What's going on, Dad?"_

_"Listen to me. You need to use the back way to get to Uncle Ryan's house. Go now. Don't stop and talk to anyone until you get to Uncle Ryan. He's going to take you somewhere for a few days."_

_"Why?"_

_"I want you to stay safe. I know you can do this."_

As abruptly as he had been thrown into the memories, he was thrown out of them. He lost his balance and fell backwards, landing on his rear end and painfully jarring the ankle that had been bothering him. People swarmed around him at once. Kira had tried to break his fall, but had caught just his arm. Bridge was on his feet.

"Are you okay? I didn't mean to—"

"Can you stand?"

"Is his ankle okay?"

"Would all of you move? I'm a doctor!"

The next thing Conner knew, Dana Grayson was standing over him. She was frowning as she held out a hand to help him up. God – that was why Syd and Paris reminded him of people he had seen before, people in the archives. Syd was the spitting image of Dana. He let the former Pink Ranger guide him to a chair and sit him down. She pulled off his sock and shoe and began massaging the sore ankle.

"I didn't know memories were quite so painful," he muttered sarcastically.

"You have no idea."

All of them turned towards the door. Cruger was there with Kat right behind him.

* * *

What had happened after he entered the lounge went too fast for him to identify. Everyone in the room was on their feet in a flash. Various weapons were drawn, but all he remembered was Paris standing the lounge door with her blaster and Maya facing him with her saber. The latter didn't surprise him, but for a woman that had been in bad health most of her life, the fact that she was willing to fight, rather than lose her son again spoke volumes. 

Cruger sighed. In a matter of moments, he had been arrested and placed into one of his own holding cells. He wasn't sure what charges, but Conner had seemed to think it was better to lock him up until at least the new commander arrived. Now, he was left with his thoughts…

It had made sense to him in his head – it made sense to Kat all those years ago, but now, it made no sense at all. All that careful logic, all those sleepless nights spent figuring out a plan… it was all pointless now.

Kidnapping…

That was what he had done. The careful legal planning to make it appear that what he was doing was perfectly within the law fell to dust. He had never used the term 'kidnapping' to himself. It was too harsh and it wasn't what he was doing. He was ensuring that Earth did not meet the same fate as Sirius. Earth was protected because of his actions.

But gazing into the haunted and pain-filled eyes of each parent and child, he realized that these people had been Power Rangers. Nothing was more important to each of them than the protection of Earth. Somehow, some way, each of their children would have realized that it was their turn to take up that legacy and become the newest rangers to protect Earth. Queen Bansheera, Ransik, the Master Org… even Scorpius and Trakeena… these people had defeated enemies equal to Emperor Gruumm. It might not have happened within his time frame, but all six of the children would have come to SPD.

How could he have been so blind?

It was simple, fear drove him. He was afraid of Gruumm, afraid of losing everything he had come to hold dear on Earth. The final destruction of his home planet haunted his dreams and even quiet moments in waking. It was childish on his part, getting what he wanted. _The road to hell is paved with good intentions._ He had good intentions – and had sent eight people and their children and countless others to hell to bring them about.

Cruger thought of the former Yellow Galaxy Ranger. She hadn't been involved with the experiments at SPD – that had been her husband. Kat had worked closely with Mike Corbett. The couple had been married for a few years, but hadn't had children – something they desperately wanted. Once the experiments were put on a back burner, the couple went back to Mirinoi – two years later, Bridge was born. Would she have sent Bridge, her only child, to SPD to become a ranger, where death was imminent, in order to save Earth? Would any of them?

Flaws in the old logic… flaws in the new logic… was there any way to reconcile what he had thoughts with what he now knew? No… nothing could change what he did all those years ago… nothing…

Cruger let out a long breath. He was Anubis Cruger – he had been a general in the war between the Troovians and the planet Sirius. As of five minutes ago, he had still been the commander of SPD on Earth. During those five minutes, he had been dismissed dishonorably from the organization he had served all his life and was being replaced by a human. He had tried offered his explanations, before the situation exploded, but now it was time to let the justice system and SPD run their course.

Would these five – six when Austin arrived from the Nebula Academy – continue to serve at SPD and be rangers? Would they realize that they had the power – without ranger powers – to save the Earth?

* * *

"He didn't want Earth to fall like Sirius did, so he kidnapped us in order to ensure that we'd end up at SPD and defend Earth?" 

Kat nodded at Bridge. The Green Ranger was sitting close to his mother, holding her hand as if to assure her that he wasn't going anywhere. In fact, all of them were sitting closer to their parents, assuring them that Cruger was no longer a threat.

"Why didn't he tell us about Emperor Gruumm?" Maya asked.

"That would have seriously impacted things," her husband continued.

"No one responds to insubstantial threats," Wes Collins added.

"What now?" Carter asked.

"Doggie has been dismissed from SPD."

"Those court cases will be reopened." The billionaire in Wes was showing.

Kat stared at the people in the lounge. It was highly likely that all of them would be leaving SPD soon. She hadn't been placed in a holding cell – not yet. Conner wanted her to explain Cruger's side of things, although it was obvious that Maya Corbett would just as soon have killed her as talked to her – and she wasn't alone in that wish. The only thing restraining any of them was their children – and the fact that Paris had already blasted a hole in the ceiling to get people to calm down.

Her communicator beeped. Kat pulled it from her waist, reading the message. She stood up. "The new commander of SPD is here," she announced.

A man entered the lounge. He was a human in his forties with short brown hair that was spiked. He was dressed completely in black. Two men with suits and sunglasses also followed him in. McKnight jumped to his feet, heedless of the ankle.

"Doctor Oliver? You're the new commander?" 

_To Be Continued..._


	27. Nowhere Is Home II

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Nowhere Is Home II**

It was cool outside. The weather hadn't descended into the blistering cold and snow that marked Newtech City in the winter, but there was a hint of that in the breeze. Right now, it was pleasant. Perfect weather for being on a patrol – cool enough to welcome a warm building and hot drink when the shift was over, but warm enough that it wasn't uncomfortable to be outside and bring in crooks.

Sky stuck his hands in his pockets, scanning the grounds for Paris. The others were still inside, reeling over what Kat had told them. Their parents had told them half the story and Kat had filled in the blanks. There had been no other choice but for the dog to be dismissed from SPD and let the courts reopen the case – jail for Cruger. He let out a long breath. He hated what had been done to them, what Cruger had forced his parents to do. He hated being confused. His adopted father, his real parents, all of them loved him and he didn't want to choose.

The new commander – a Doctor Thomas Oliver – was currently talking with Conner and Kira in an attempt to get caught up on the situation. His tech man – Ethan James – was surveying the systems with Kat. Trent Fernandez – another one of Doctor Oliver's associates – was talking to their parents. In a little bit, Doctor Oliver would want to meet with the B-Squad – the highest ranking cadets at the SPD Academy and the most powerful members of SPD on Earth since the A-Squad went MIA. But that wasn't imminent and they could all be reached on their morphers. Besides, they had to decide what to do.

Cruger had been right about one thing – the six of them did have the power to save Earth from the Troovians, on their own and without ranger powers.

He didn't understand the kidnapping – and that was what had happened. It might have turned into a legal kidnapping, but it was a kidnapping nonetheless. The six of them might not have initially chosen SPD, but each of them would realize that they – and no one else – had the power to protect Earth and would have ended up at SPD. Their parents understood that – each of them would have learned it.

What made him the angriest was that all of this could have been avoided had Cruger just thought things out rationally.

Well, it didn't matter now. Nothing could change the past. Syd had asked him to come out here and make sure that Paris was all right. She had slipped out in the middle of Kat's explanations, looking defeated.

The swings swayed in the breeze – the playground looking desolate and dismal.

Paris was there on the swings. Her hair was down and ruffled in the breeze. One hand curled around the chain that held the swing up, her long, thin fingers loosely grasping at the metal. She looked lost in thought, like she had been so many times when he found her in the archives, gazing at endless newspaper articles. Paris had fought so long and so hard to find her parents and know the truth. Now, her battle was over. He knew that the war was far from over, but she had won her battle.

He walked across the all-too still grounds and sat down on the swing next to her. She didn't acknowledge his presence.

"Hey," he said softly.

Paris turned to him, her blue eyes alight with an emotion he couldn't identify. "Hey," she echoed. "Syd asked you to come out here?"

"Yeah," he admitted. He gave her a sidelong glance as her gaze went back to the ground, her foot planted and moving her and the swing slightly.

"You know," Paris said softly. "All this time I've believed that my problems would go away the minute I found my parents." She let out a short, mournful laugh. "I didn't know that I would escalate the problem by finding them." She shook her head. "I don't remember being picked up en route to my Uncle Ryan's house. I guess I blocked it out for obvious reasons."

"You weren't that old."

"I was old enough to remember something like that."

Sky paused. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I don't remember a thing about my real parents. All I remember is a swing set in a huge backyard – and a butler."

"But your adopted father is your real godfather. He cared about you before ever becoming your parent." She stopped for a moment. "You were the lucky one."

"I won't argue with you on that." He gently laid a hand on her shoulder. "You and Syd have never had it easy, at least in the time I've known you."

"No," she agreed.

They fell silent for a minute. He glanced at her uniform. The patrol officer's uniform was the same as a ranger's, except that it remained dark gray where a ranger's would reflect his or her color. It was the uniform that cadets on the ranger track wore until becoming rangers and getting a ranger color. Patrol officers had to have graduated from the academy, so it was easy to tell who was a patrol officer and who was a ranger-in-training.

She should have been wearing a uniform with a ranger color, just like the rest of them.

"I've been fighting for so long," she whispered. "Now I don't have anything to fight for."

"That's not true!"

"Isn't it? What am I supposed to do now? Stay at SPD. I hated it here when I was a cadet and it didn't get much better when I graduated."

"Maybe." Sky pushed off the ground with his foot, making the swing go back and forth. It had been so long since he had been on a swing set – seventeen years. All that remained of his childhood before being hidden was a swing set. "I can't tell you what to do." He used both feet to push off the ground properly. That was better – the swing began to move in a small arch.

Paris didn't reply. She stood up from her swing and began to push him on the swing – her hands hitting the small of his back in a rhythmic fashion. He had a sudden flash of standing on a balcony with an umbrella, thinking the umbrella would act as a parachute and he would be able to fly. He had been thrilled to learn that he had the one Delta Runner that took to the air. Perhaps he truly did want to fly. And for the first time since leaving the academy grounds on Friday, he wasn't cold.

Without warning, Paris ran from behind the swing and took off across the grounds. Sky slowed the swing down and followed her flight. A lone man was walking across the deserted grounds. He was tall with blonde hair – and wearing a uniform from the Nebula Academy. It had to be Austin – the long lost older brother of Paris and Syd that none of them had met. Paris hugged him tightly and dragged him over to Sky.

"This is Austin," Paris said. "That's Sky."

Austin nodded. "Syd's boyfriend." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah," he replied.

Austin gave him an appraising look before turning to Paris. "I got your urgent message. Didn't quite believe it at first."

"Would I lie about something like that?"

"No – that's why I'm here." His hair was longish and looked like it had been styled to appear all over the place. He pushed his hair out of his eyes. "I thought the urgent meant something like nail polish colors or something."

"I'm insulted," Paris said, sniffing.

Austin raised his hands in defeat. "I just know you and Sydney too well."

Paris just rolled her eyes. Sky was well aware that Austin couldn't be more than a few minutes older than Paris, but she acted like the older sibling. Austin wrapped an arm around his little sister's shoulders.

"So when I do I get to meet everyone?"

Sky's morpher beeped. He pulled it out and clicked it open. "Tate."

"Sky," came Conner's voice. "Meet me in the command center. Doctor Oliver wants all of us there to talk. Bring Paris too." There was some shuffling. "And Austin. It looks like his shuttle has landed."

"Sure. We'll be there in a minute."

Sky gazed at the twins. Both had heard Conner. He felt a sudden chill again. Outside, swinging, he had felt something he hadn't felt in a long time. He couldn't identify it, but it was there. He was tired of being cold.

* * *

No one got to the command center promptly. Tommy sighed to himself, hoping that this was not the norm with the B-Squad Power Rangers. He wasn't used to institutionalized rangers like this, where schedules and specific training had to be met. He, Ethan and Trent were around the command center. Ethan had faxed in their resignation letters to CTU earlier that morning. Trent had sent in the last draft of the final comics, telling them to get the inker to finish the rest of the details.

For now, Trent was heading up a previously non-existent Human Resources department and had made an abandoned large closet his headquarters. He had bribed one of the younger cadets who was a fan of his comics into watching the hastily set up phone while he attended the meeting. Ethan was taking over Katherine Manx position. Both her and Cruger had been formally taken into custody a few moments ago. What would happen to them was anyone's guess. For the most part, the victims were still reeling and the anger at Cruger had been displaced with relearning things about their children. Z and Bridge, still being underage, had some custodial disputes that would arise soon. Z was still a ward of the state, while Bridge had been adopted.

All of the legal matters would be settled. For now, he wanted to know what the B-Squad rangers were planning to do. How many of them wanted to leave SPD? How many of them would go home or join in the legal battles against Cruger? After what had been done to them in the name of SPD, would any of them remain? Oh, he could get other rangers, equally as qualified, but none of them would have the innate skills that they had.

The three Grayson siblings burst into the command center. A tall boy was between the girls – he had a shock of blonde hair and looked like a younger Carter. Tommy smiled, remembering the baby showers for the three siblings. He had lost touch with the old group of Red Rangers, so he hadn't known that their children had been taken. He even chalked up the lack of Christmas cards to the fact that he moved so often. The trio was smiling and laughing, something that it didn't appear Paris did often.

Sky came in after them. He didn't appear involved in their noise or joy, just came into the room and saluted him formally before standing at ease. Bridge and Z followed, holding hands and both of them looking unsure.

He didn't know what would happen with these six. Could the formal adoption for Bridge be dissolved so that his parents could care for him once more? Z would be less of a problem since it would be a matter of transferring her custody back to her parents. But the ones that were of age – last names could be changed back to their original birth certificates, but how would any of them synthesize their true pasts with the ones that had been fabricated for them?

Conner and Kira entered – Kira noticeably lacking a uniform. The old Dino Thunder team was together again. The four kids… no, none of them were kids anymore. Ethan had been second-in-command at CTU. Trent was successful and famous in his own right with his comics. Kira had won Grammies. And Conner… he was a father with two daughters. None of them were high school seniors that needed a mentor anymore.

Tommy stood up and the room immediately quieted. He nodded towards the rangers and the other assorted people with powers that were gathered. "Thanks for being here," he said softly. "I want you to know that none of you are under any obligation to stay."

No one moved or even dared a glance at his or her neighbor.

"For now, Ethan James will be the acting Head of Technology Development. Trent Fernandez is beginning a long-needed Human Resources department." He paused and glanced at the rangers. Everyone had a carefully blank look on their faces. "You have been through a lot in the last forty-eight hours. Each of you has had your world turned upside down in some way. It might be good and it might be bad."

Sky was shivering. Syd glanced at him and moved away from her siblings, wrapping an arm around Sky's waist. He returned the gesture, still shaking.

"What has happened to you is a matter between you, your parents and Anubis Cruger. SPD, as an organization, will not be implicated, since Cruger used his power as commander of SPD on Earth, rather than using the infrastructure of the institution."

"In other words, SPD's not going anywhere?" Conner clarified.

"No," Tommy continued. "There are legal matters concerning some of you that we will do our best to clear up. It may take time." He drew in a deep breath. It was time to come to the part of the speech that he had been dreading, but also had a burning curiosity about. How many of them would actually stay on board as rangers?

"Each of your jobs as Power Rangers is still open to you, should you choose to remain with SPD. Obviously, there will be marked changes in the training program and the distribution of work amongst rangers and officers." He paused. When he next spoke, his voice was softer. "If you choose to leave, we will recruit others to become rangers and continue the battle with the Troovians. But, you know you have the power to save Earth. I'm not going to force you to stay here…" He trailed off. "But you know what power you have."

It was a lame ending. It had been a lame speech. If he had been one of these kids, he would have jumped at the first opportunity to leave SPD. No one moved for a minute. In fact, he wasn't sure if anyone was breathing.

"Can we have some time to think about it and talk about it?" Bridge asked.

Tommy nodded. "I'll need to know by tonight."

Bridge returned the nod and the rangers began to leave the command center in ones and twos, until the Dino Thunder rangers were all that remained. The five of them were together once again after a decade and a half of separation.

"What are we going to do?" Kira asked softly.

"There's nothing we can do until they make their decision." Tommy glanced around at the former rangers. "I'm hoping I can count on you four."

"If we have to, we'll become rangers again," Ethan reassured him.

"Again or still?" Conner asked dryly.

"You don't count, bro," Ethan replied. "You're as bad as Tommy here."

That got laughter out of the five of them. Perhaps things would work out.

* * *

"Cruger wasn't really going to follow through on any of his threats, was he?"

"We can never know," Maya replied, laying a hand on Bridge's head. "At one time, those threats might have been genuine, but not now. Fear is a powerful device."

Bridge just let out a long breath. He didn't know what to do anymore. Before actually enrolling at SPD, his adopted parents had told him all about how great it would be. For the past two years, it had been his life. After becoming a ranger, he even forgot that he was still underage and that his adopted parents could take him out of SPD. He assumed that papers with all the correct signatures were sent to them and signed, because he was always allowed to participate in what the others did.

"I don't know what to do," he whispered.

Mike shook his head. "You're a ranger – that's a huge responsibility." He paused. "But this is your decision. We can't decide for you."

"But, won't it, like, be harder on you guys if I stay at SPD?"

"There's a difference between SPD and Cruger," his father replied.

Someone knocked on the door to his room – Sky and his family were elsewhere. "Come in!" Bridge called. The doors slid open to reveal Trent Fernandez standing there with a file folder and data pad in his hand. From what Conner had briefly said, Trent had been on the last team of Power Rangers, something like the White Ranger. The pair had been on the same team.

"Hey Bridge," Trent greeted, stepping into the room. "Mr. and Mrs. Corbett," he added with a nod. His parents nodded back. He opened the file folder. "I've been going through the files on the underage cadets and most of it is the normal BS about not suing SPD if your child gets hurt, medical authorization, permanent records… but I found some interesting paperwork that had been done on you and Z – and Syd, Paris and Austin when they were underage."

"And?" Mike prompted.

"Guardianship of you was taken from your adopted parents and granted to SPD. Z was a ward of the state, but the state gave her guardianship to SPD as well."

"What does that mean?"

"It means, that since SPD is your legal guardian, SPD can grant guardianship of you to whoever SPD wants. SPD is now headed by Doctor Oliver and he is prepared to grant guardianship to your biological parents."

"It's not going to be a long, drawn-out legal battle?"

"No," Trent replied. He closed the file folders. "We'll just deal with the paperwork some other time. Just thought you ought to know – would have contacted you on your morpher but I haven't been given a communicator yet."

With that, Trent left the room.

Bridge sighed. At least that matter had sorted itself out.

"Bridge, we can move back to Earth," his father was saying. "I can ask Stanton to transfer me back to the main headquarters in LA. We'd be close that way."

He shook his head. "I can't ask you to do that."

"You're not asking us," Maya interjected. "We're telling you. We're not going back to being separated by a galaxy."

"And as for staying with SPD, we were both rangers too," Mike added. "We understand that protecting people is more important than anything else."

* * *

Conner walked into the command center. Doctor O was still there, but Ethan and Trent were nowhere to be found. His former teacher smiled when he entered.

"They're all staying," Doctor O said without preamble.

"I've heard that," he replied.

Doctor O picked up a data pad and crossed the room to him. "Until we get further information on the A-Squad, I'm assigning Paris and Austin to the B-Squad. Ethan found some morphers that hadn't had a color assignment yet. They're down there being briefed on their morphers right now."

"Until we get information on the A-Squad?"

He nodded. "There've been some spotty transmissions aside from the initial one, but no one is sure if it's the right people."

"What are you thinking?"

"I don't know yet."

Conner fell silent. There were a couple questions he wanted to ask, but wasn't sure how to phrase them. "Why are you assigning the twins to the B-Squad?" he asked softly.

"Suffice it to say that the morphers without a color designation were always meant for the twins, but neither of them was going to get them based on behavior citations."

"How does it feel to be back?"

Doctor O looked up and met his gaze. "Different. I've been the director of CTU for a long time, but I've never been in charge of an organization this big. And I'm not a ranger this time around, so that makes a difference."

"I'm sure Ethan could fix that."

"I don't need to be a ranger again. You, of all people, should understand that."

He did understand. When Cruger initially offered him the job, he had done it simply to feed his family. But now, he was in the same position that Doctor O had been in all those years ago when the Dino-Gems chose them. "Yeah," he said softly. "Doctor O?"

"Tommy, please."

"All right… Tommy." It felt odd to be calling Doctor O that. It didn't seem to matter that they were both adults now. "Do you mind if I take the rest of the weekend off and spend it with my daughters?"

"Go ahead – and take Monday too. I can get Ethan to head up all the training exercises that will be scheduled." He paused and grimaced. "Plus you might want to steer clear of here once all the phones start ringing."

"Thanks." He turned to go.

"Conner?" He turned back. "Those girls couldn't have a better father."

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** Wow - 399 reviews? I'm completely and totally blown away and flattered! You guys are completely awesome! This is a short note, since I've got a backlog of homework to catch up on (plus a Spanish quiz tomorrow!) So everyone keep up the great feedback! 


	28. Nowhere Is Home III

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Nowhere Is Home III**

Ah – Monday! This particular Monday didn't feel as monotonous as previous Mondays, simply because he didn't have a routine to get back into yet. Ethan was bringing up coordinates and recent video transmissions needed for that morning's briefing. Tommy was muttering to himself in the empty command center. Ethan just shook his head as he compiled the data. Trent was busy this morning – sending a letter to the parents of the underage cadets and the officers themselves about the change of command. He would also be stuck answering phones all day.

"Do we have enough morphers for a ten person squad?" Tommy suddenly asked.

Ethan looked up. "Sure – the technology isn't hard to duplicate. But you're going to end up with some weird colors if you want that many people on a squad."

The former Black Ranger shook his head. "I'm just concerned about finding the A-Squad – and the transmissions aren't all that helpful."

"I think it's a lost cause."

"You're not the only one."

"When's that meeting with Lightspeed and Bio-Lab supposed to happen?"

"This afternoon – an extended lunch of some kind." Tommy shrugged. "It's with Bill Mitchell and Wes Collins – and I'm not sure what we're going to accomplish."

"You know Wes – and Mitchell is Carter's father-in-law. I'm sure it will be fine."

"Yeah well… I think Wes wants to donate some money, but I can't figure out why. Sure, he used to work for SPD, but SPD has also been the cause of most of the pain in his life. Why either of them want anything to do with SPD is beyond me."

"Obviously, it's because you're in charge. Both of them know and respect you." Ethan paused. "They probably see it as the reincarnation of SPD."

"Sure."

Ethan gave his former science teacher a sympathetic look. Tommy didn't often act like he was over forty, but there were times when he would pause and would seem so much older than he actually was. In a way, he was glad that it wasn't him being put in charge of SPD. Cruger had asked Tommy to be his successor a long time ago, but Tommy had thought that he would be long gone by the time the dog retired. It was odd that, upon seeing his education and credentials, the disgraced former head of SPD hadn't suspected that Tommy had been a ranger.

"What else is on the docket for today?" the former Blue Ranger asked.

"Meeting with the B-Squad this morning. I also have to talk to Kira and see if she wants to remain in her capacity as a teacher."

"And?" There was more than Tommy was telling.

"I'm thinking of sending Austin and Paris on a search mission."

"For the A-Squad?"

"Austin was trained as a space pilot at the Nebula Academy and is certified to fly almost all two or three person shuttles we could throw at him. Paris has basic forensics and was trained to be part of an intergalactic search party."

"You're the boss, boss." Ethan looked up and met Tommy's gaze, both of them grinning. That had been a running joke when they still worked for CTU. Ethan would make snide comments about things that didn't require snide comments, while Tommy would ask him if he still wanted a job the next morning. In situations that weren't high priority, comments like 'you're the boss, boss' and 'it's your funeral' were frequent.

"Conner's not going to be in today either," Tommy continued. "And no one is to contact him unless it's the end of the world."

"I seriously doubt we'll have end of the world problems today."

"After the formal B-Squad meeting, I'm putting them on standby only for the rest of the week – Austin and Paris will need to be briefed on their mission and given an itinerary. They can leave Monday morning." Tommy let out a long breath. "And _ we_ still need to move out here and tie up loose ends."

"Already done." They turned to see Trent walking into the command center. He was the most casual of the three of them, wearing a white sweater with jeans. None of them had SPD uniforms yet and it would be awkward trying to find them, since Tommy was the commander and none of them had been previously part of the organization. "The movers should be clearing out your apartments by now – there're branches of your banks in Newtech and SPD will be taking care of the remaining rent money. Your cars should be here with the movers later today." He walked over to Tommy and handed him a data pad. "Read that and sign it. I'll be sending that out en mass in a little bit."

For all his eccentricities, if one put Trent in charge, he worked hard and had his act together. It was a little scary how completely organized and professional he could be when he wasn't working on his comics.

"This is good BS, Trent," Tommy muttered as he signed the form letter.

"Some of the best I've turned out lately." Trent took the data pad. "I'll have this out to all the cadets, their parents, officers and support staff by noon." He left the command center.

"I'd have never pictured him as a people person," Ethan muttered.

"He's not a people person – he just knows how to schmooze people."

The former Blue Ranger snickered. It was amazing that the five former rangers were working as a unit after fifteen years of separation. Once a ranger, always a ranger… it was like being in the Mafia, once you were in, you were in forever.

* * *

"You'll be taking a Tangarian fighter plane. It's small enough to manually maneuver through most atmospheres, but large enough that you can stay there comfortably without having to set up camp on a foreign planet. There's also a large cargo bay that will hold most of your supplies and a few spare parts."

Tommy looked at the pair in front of him. Both were now wearing ranger uniforms – Austin's had white trim, while Paris' had black. The Grayson twins were both paying attention with a single-minded intensity that almost scared him. Had neither of them been sent on a mission like this before? He suspected not. He pushed a button on the control panel, switching to a map of the galaxy.

"The last known transmission from the A-Squad came from this location," he continued, motioning to a planet marked in red. "Your primary sweep will be of that planet – the fighting has moved from there so you should be safe. If you find nothing on that planet, then you can continue to sweep the system. After two weeks, even if you've found nothing, you are to come back to Earth."

"When are we leaving," Austin asked.

"Monday morning, 0800."

The older of the twins nodded. Paris had a neutral expression on her face. Of course, she always had a neutral expression on her face. None of the gossip had filtered back to him yet, but he suspected that Paris was staying with SPD because she couldn't think of something else to do right away. Carter and Dana, while wanting to see Cruger brought to justice, were supportive of their children remaining at SPD as rangers. Not so long ago, the pair of them had been at a similar organization with the same task.

"You're on standby only until 0600 on Monday. At that time, I need you be in conference room A, ready to receive your final briefing before departure."

"Anything else?" Austin asked.

"If you run into any trouble at all, abort the mission and get back here." Tommy paused, shaking his head. "I don't want another replay of what happened to the A-Squad – none of this MIA business."

"Yes, sir," the twins said in unison.

"Any other questions?" The pair remained silent. "In that case, dismissed."

He watched their departure, noting that both used the door instead of going through as they were able to do. Trent had dug up some files from the training exercises and found that each of them had to hone their powers into weapons. With something like phasing, it was obvious what could and couldn't be done – the only such training with the twins had been to see if there was anything they _couldn't_ phase through. With the others, including Conner, the med records were more than enough.

* * *

"We're not going to die on this mission," Paris said for what seemed like the millionth time since their family had sat down for dinner.

Mariner Bay wasn't too far from Newtech City, so the drive had been peaceful as most people were lost in their thoughts. However, things had exploded once they sat down to eat. Paris and Austin were leaving on a special mission in a week. Syd snorted to herself, realizing that she never listed Austin first when mentally referring to the twins. Despite people's worries over this assignment, sitting around the table with her family felt right. The house and food were nothing like what they had for most of their childhoods, but it had much more feeling to it. Chicken, pasta, green beans… it was so foreign, yet was right.

"We have strict orders to come back if the situation seems at all hostile," Austin interjected, soothing any storms that might be coming. Their mother looked like she was fighting an internal battle. Syd felt sympathetic. They had been reunited two days ago and the twins were taking off in a week. Their mother sighed, relenting to what Austin had said. That was Austin – ever the peacemaker.

"Besides," Austin continued as he spooned pasta onto his plate. "It will be great to get some practical experience to go with all the training we've had."

Good grief – someone needed to make Austin a used car salesman.

In fact, this reunion was odd on more than one level. She and Paris were used to spending time with each other simply because they had been at SPD together for the past three years and, for most of the time, avoided their adopted parents. Austin got shipped to the Nebula Academy right before Syd joined – it had literally been her and Paris persevering through everything that was thrown at them. Austin had been back on Earth a little over forty-eight hours – and he hadn't seen them for three years. Then throwing their parents into the picture… it made for five people that really didn't know anything about one another.

But beyond all of that, they were whole again and the situation was something she had wanted since she could remember. Another insane urge wanted her to invite Sky over to one of these dinners so that he could meet her parents properly and not within the contexts of finding information. Besides, Sky was bound to get along with her dad.

"This chicken is orgasmic," Paris commented, now that the conversation was moving away from the new assignment she and Austin had.

"Most people don't describe food as orgasmic," Austin told her.

"You obviously have not had one of those death-by-chocolate sundaes at Bluebell's," she replied testily, referring to the local ice cream place that was haunted by SPD personnel. "And I am not 'most people'," she added, glaring at her twin.

"I never said that," Austin replied delicately.

"You implied it!" Paris shot back.

"You guys used to do this when you were little," Carter muttered, spearing the pasta onto his fork.

_That_ got the attention of the twins. They turned their identical blue-eyed gaze to their father. "Really?" Paris asked.

"It was mostly over crayons," their father continued. "You were forever convinced that Austin was purposely breaking your crayons," he said to Paris.

Paris gave Austin an appraising stare. "Sounds like something he would do."

"Wait a minute!" Austin cried. "How many times did I have to go rescue your clothing from Syd because she borrowed something without asking?"

"That's not the point, it's the principle of thing," Paris sniffed.

"And don't bring me into this," Syd added.

"And that reminds me…" Paris whirled on Syd. She plastered an innocent expression over her face and began to find her food really interesting. "Where is that black camisole of mine that you said would look 'so cute' with your new skirt?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Paris snorted. "You'd better cough it up before we leave."

"Hey everyone!"

The argument stopped just as Syd was about to protest that she would give the offending article back, but she wasn't sure what Paris was going to do with it when she was on official SPD business. The man who entered was taller with blonde hair to match theirs and looked similar to their mother – followed by an older man.

"Your Uncle Ryan and Granpa Mitchell," their father said.

"We brought desert," Ryan said. Both of these relatives were on their mother's side, but were close to them if the pictures in the living room where anything to go by. "Chocolate cheesecake from Bluebell's."

"I like you already," Paris said. She turned back to Syd. "I want my camisole back!"

* * *

Sky sighed, running a finger around the rim of the mug of hot chocolate he was drinking. Everyone was inside the house that he and Eric had lived in for fifteen years. His father had some propositions for SPD and they were staying in Newtech City for a day or two before heading back to Silver Hills. However, no one was in the backyard. They had a small concrete porch out here with some lawn chairs. It brought back memories of stargazing and just talking when he had been younger. He glanced at the dead plants on the back porch. They always had plants and the plants always died, except for that one cactus…

He hadn't much time to spend with Syd or Bridge… or even Z or Conner over the weekend. Syd and her family were forever doing things, visiting this person or that person, going shopping, going to Bluebell's and even planning a vacation that summer. Bridge had been loathed to let his parents leave him for more than a few minutes and it would have been awkward trying to talk about his situation in front of them. Z and her father had been around to the local animals shelters to get Z a kitten, while her and her mother were shopping for a new wardrobe. Conner had been out and about with his daughters when he wasn't in some meeting with Doctor Oliver.

That left Sky – constantly left drifting while the adults did various things – feeling rather lonely. Adults… he snorted to himself. For such a long time, he had considered himself an adult and the others around him. It never occurred to him that Bridge and Z were still underage and that none of them were completely legal, since no one was over twenty-one.

"You could come inside, you know." He turned to see his mother standing just outside the sliding door, her arms crossed for warmth. It was chilly – and he had been wrapped up in his winter jacket and the afghan from the couch. "Wes and Eric are ordering in some Chinese food and Taylor thinks you're being antisocial."

"What do you think?"

Jen crossed the miniscule porch and sat down in a lawn chair next to him. "I think you're confused, as you have every right to be."

"I want to talk to my friends about this," he whispered.

"I know," his mother replied. "Your attempts to find them weren't that subtle." She paused and gave him an appraising look. "Syd is your girlfriend?"

He nodded. "Her father scares me," he admitted.

"Carter?" Jen laughed. Her tone was sincere and comforting. "He's a marshmallow – and he'll love you once things settle down. He's just a little defensive because he's just now found his daughters and one of them has a boyfriend he didn't get to interview first."

"What do you think of Syd?"

She looked thoughtful. "I don't know her that well, but from what I've seen of her, I like her." She smiled. "And I trust you to have good taste. Plus Eric has been pounding his philosophy on women and dating into your head. I would expect nothing less."

Sky smiled reluctantly. His adopted father's constant advice had been to not end up with someone like Taylor and to use a condom. Then again, he realized over the years that Eric and Taylor were perfect for each from the looks they gave each other when they thought no one was looking to their constant arguments about housekeeping and nutrition.

"Look, Sky," his mother said softly, her voice serious. "Your father and I don't expect you to integrate this all at once. We don't expect you to forget all about your life here with Eric and act like none of it existed. Just know that we are always here for you, no matter what. And if you want to talk, any time of the day or night, you know how to reach us."

"Thanks," he whispered.

Jen reached over and squeezed his hand. "I think you need to come in before you catch pneumonia," she said with a smile.

He stood up, throwing the afghan over his arm. "Don't you have to go back to your time on my twenty-first birthday?" he asked.

She gave him an appraising look. "Hopefully not. Your father and I are working on something."

He nodded, feeling better to know that he wasn't going to lose one of his parents such a short time after she came into his life.

* * *

"Why do I have to see all your new clothes?"

"The answer to that should be self-explanatory."

Z spun around in the pale yellow dress once more. She had never owned anything remotely elegant like this and she wanted to revel in it to the best of her ability. Turtle Cove wasn't far from Newtech City – about a half hour drive. Her parents had offered to let Bridge's parents stay with them until they could get their situation worked out on Mirinoi. Her and Bridge were spending the night and maybe a few more in Turtle Cove as well. She could tell that neither set of parents were thrilled with that, but none of them said anything. The room they were staying in had been her bedroom fourteen years ago, but had since been redone into a guest room with a double bed. Bridge's parents were in the other guest room.

She didn't really mind that her old bedroom was now a guest room – she didn't remember her bedroom and wouldn't be interested in things that interested a three-year-old. The room had pale pink paint with a light blue bedspread – Sky and Syd would have appreciated this room more than her and Bridge.

Bridge was sitting cross-legged on the bed. Z was studiously ignoring his complaining about the fashion show. Her new clothes were all over the room. It was kind of redundant that she was trying them on again – she had tried them all on in the store, but it was so much fun to have new clothes that weren't from a cheap store.

"How do I look?"

"Gorgeous," Bridge said sincerely. Z flopped down onto the bed next to him. "Although you might want to take the price tag off."

She shoved his arm. He was wearing a green dress shirt and jeans, looking a lot more relaxed than she had seen him in a while. He grinned at her.

"I'm just glad it was you shopping and not me."

Z stood up, returning the grin. She stepped out of the dress and got back into the jeans and shirt she had been wearing. It didn't bother her to change clothes in front of Bridge – it didn't bother her to be naked in front of him and the same went for him. In addition to being lovers, they were comfortable with each other and themselves.

There was a knock on the door. "Everyone decent?" her father called.

"Yeah!" she called back.

The door opened and Cole glanced around at the chaos with a grin. "Z…" he said, shaking his head. He was trying to look mad, but failing. She could see a twinkle in his blue eyes.

"This is normal," Bridge told him.

"I'll bet." Cole looked amused. "Dinner's ready," he added before leaving the room, shutting the door behind him.

They exchanged another grin before heading downstairs to get dinner. She had never felt better, clothes shopping aside. She had always known her parents loved her.

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thanks to _ AnknaraSkysurfer, BloomingViolets, garnetred, Gear's Girl, Giannola, juzblue, Moi, Peanutbutterluver1399, Samurai-Nashie, skyblue266, sky's girl forever, the real vampire, Titanium Gold_ and _Weesta_ for reviewing the past chapter! I love the people that keep coming back to review and who leave such awesome comments! This story is quickly coming to a close - just a few more chapters to tie up some loose ends. Cheers! 


	29. Nowhere Is Home IV

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Nowhere Is Home IV**

Everything was quiet. Carter let out a long breath as he entered his study, closing the door behind him. Paris and Syd were sleeping in the guest room for the night and Austin was on the couch in the living room – he didn't want to make them stay in rooms that had all their toys from fourteen years ago in them still. He and Dana needed to pack that stuff up and turn their rooms into something they could come to now.

He opened the top desk drawer and pulled out the divorce papers. Neither of them had signed them yet. _Irreconcilable differences_… two simple words that were about to end their marriage. He wanted to burn them – but he knew that they still needed to talk about them, work them out. There was something left to salvage from their marriage, they could make it work again – and the papers just seemed like a looming shadow.

"Hey."

Carter glanced up as Dana entered the room, quietly closing the door behind her. "Hey," he replied, standing up. "What's—"

She shushed him. "Austin's asleep," she whispered.

He nodded, watching as she picked the divorce papers up from where he had dropped them on his desk. She flipped to the page that neither of them had signed. Her blue eyes were sad as she dropped the papers back to the desk.

"I'm sorry."

Carter closed the space between them, his hands going to her waist. "It's all right," he murmured. "I thought it would be best too."

"I hurt you though," she insisted, that insistence showing through their hushed tones. "I never thought it would hurt you so much. I thought it was what we needed."

Neither of them was saying 'divorce', although that is exactly what both of them were thinking of. It had been brought up. "Dana," he said, pressing his forehead against hers. "I would have done anything to make you happy again and if a divorce would have done that, then I would have signed those papers willingly."

"I know." She pulled away from him and picked up the papers. He was a little surprised as she ripped them in half, ripping the pieces until nothing was left but shreds. The shreds fell to the floor, fluttering down slowly. "I don't want our marriage to be over."

"It's not," he replied.

Dana glanced at him, a smile coming over her face. She closed the space between them, pressing her lips against his. He eagerly accepted and returned the passionate, hungry kisses that reminded him exactly of what they hadn't done in ten years. Sure, the initial reconnection had happened at the hotel, but there hadn't been time for… this.

With a sweep of his arm, he cleared off the contents of the desk, hoisting Dana onto the surface. His fingers fumbled with the buttons of her blouse as his lips never left hers. Her hands were tugging on the hem of his shirt. When it became clear that they didn't want to lose lip contact, her hands settled underneath his shirt – her palms hot on his skin. Parting for breath, he ripped off the shirt.

"How long has it been since we've done this?" she asked breathlessly.

"Too long," he muttered. Why did they put so many buttons on blouses? It was completely redundant. After what seemed like an eternity, the blouse was unbuttoned and he pushed the garment off her shoulders. She shrugged it off.

It was mind-blowing… Carter gave himself over to the pure bliss that came from this…

* * *

The sunlight was streaming through the window of the study. Carter groaned, rubbing his eyes, trying to figure out why he was sleeping on the floor of the study. Voices were coming from the kitchen along with banging, like someone was cooking. Then the scent of pancakes and bacon hit him and his stomach rumbled. What in the world was going on?

"It's too early," Dana mumbled.

Carter blinked, realizing that the weight on his chest was Dana using him as a pillow. The events of last night tumbled back to him. No wonder he had been dead asleep… "We need to do that more often," he said softly.

Dana just grinned, sitting up, and then leaning back over to kiss him. He caught her arms and held onto the kiss for longer than was probably originally intended. "We need to get dressed and make sure they're not burning down the house."

He just shook his head. "I haven't heard the smoke detector and it doesn't smell like they've burnt anything." He paused. "Besides, my pager hasn't gone off."

She picked up his clothes and tossed them to him. They had managed to get the week off so that they could spend time with the kids before Austin and Paris had to leave on their special mission.

"Get off the phone with your boyfriend!" came Paris' annoyed voice.

"Just because I have a boyfriend and you don't—"

"I did have a boyfriend, but I dumped him because he was an idiot." There was a pause, followed by some creative cursing.

"Want me to cook the bacon?" Austin offered.

"Sure." There was another pause. "Although I might go after that HR director we now have – he's kind of hot."

"Paris!" Sydney shrieked. "He's got to be fifteen years older than you."

"At least he looked like he can have a good time, unlike—"

"Do not bring Sky into this!"

"Fine. Wasn't going to." There was a long pause. "Goddammit! I'm not even cooking the bacon and it's popping all over me."

"It just likes you," Austin said.

"You know that pretty little Deltamax Blaster that comes with the ranger uniform? Yeah? I'm thinking of taking mine to your head!"

"Paris always was in the middle of every fight," Dana commented with a grin as she buttoned up the blouse. "Austin and Sydney could gang up on her and she would still come out of the fight on top."

Carter just returned the grin. He has his own theory surrounding the kids. Austin and Sydney tended to come to him or Dana when they were upset or had a problem. Paris, on the other hand, would run away down the street to her Uncle Ryan's house – at four-years-old no less. Ryan would let her pull his kitchen chairs into the living room and give her a sheet to make a fort. While she was occupied he would call and let them know where she was. Then he would feed her and the pair of them would sit around and watch Disney movies until he or Dana came to bring her home.

He allowed Dana to lead him out into the kitchen for breakfast, a goofy grin still plastered all over his face.

* * *

Kira smiled as she accepted the mug of coffee from Ethan. Things had settled down some, so she and Ethan were taking advantage of the free time. They had been close back in high school, something akin to best friends. It was nice to be able to spend time with him again. Ethan sat down at the small table across from her. Life in the lounge buzzed on around them – two of the newest rangers at SPD. Neither of them had a color yet, since Ethan hadn't had time to program the morphers and Gruumm had been quiet.

"I can't believe I agreed to be a ranger again," she muttered.

"You and me both. We're as bad as Tommy and Conner."

She forced a smile. Conner… ever since she agreed to become a ranger, he had remained distant. Not that she expected anything else. _He _had been the one to break it off – she had nothing to feel bad about. And yet… she missed the way his eyes would light up when he looked at her, the way he would grin about inane stuff, even the way he teased her…

"You know," Ethan said slowly. "Conner really likes you."

"Great – make it sound like we're still teenagers."

Ethan nodded. "All right – bad word choice. It's more like he's passionately in love with you but afraid to express it to himself and you."

Kira rested her forehead on the palm of her hand. A smile graced her lips as Ethan laid a reassuring hand on her arm. That much was true – and not exaggerated too much.

"Why does it shock me when it doesn't shock you at all?"

Ethan grinned. "There has only been one man who could love you completely, in the way you deserve to be loved – and that man is Conner."

"Why didn't we realize this fifteen years ago?"

"You two were in different worlds with a lot of growing up to do."

"What happens now?"

"Just talk to him. He's learned to listen over the years."

She turned her hazel-eyed gaze to one of her oldest friends. She wasn't sure of anything anymore. Her life was planned for such a long time that it was hard to let go and listen to her heart. Conner – there was so much to him that she had never known before. He was – she loved him. The realization hit her like an avalanche. For years, he was just Conner – a distant memory from long gone high school days.

Now, he was a living, breathing, integral part of her life. Love had blossomed between them and they were too scared to acknowledge it. The way he gently kissed her when she spent the night curled in his arms… It was the piece that had been missing her whole life – Conner.

"I have to go, Ethan," she cried breathlessly, jumping up and running down the familiar corridors before she changed her mind.

In no time, she was standing outside the door to Conner's apartment. She pressed the buzzer, willing herself to go through with this. She could hear some shuffling in the background, before Conner, himself, opened the door. He was wearing a red button-up shirt that was mostly unbuttoned and loose jeans, barefoot. God, he had never looked sexier.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked.

"Sure," he replied with a nod. He glanced back into the hall before motioning her into the apartment and shutting the door behind her. The place was noticeably quiet since the girls were still in school. "Kira, I—" he began.

"No," she said quickly, laying a finger on his lips. "Don't talk. I want to say this and I don't want you to interrupt." She removed her finger, grateful that he complied for once. "I don't know all that's happened to you – I probably don't want to know all that's happened to you. But I do know that I love you and you love me, even if you haven't admitted it to yourself yet." She let out a long, shaky breath. "I know that you're afraid of being hurt again, but we can make this work. I want to be a part of your life and your daughters' lives, if you'll let me."

Conner looked stunned. "I am so sorry," he whispered. "I just—"

"Conner, I will not hurt you like she did."

There – that was what he needed to hear. She watched as the tension drained from his face and a smile broke out over his features. He leaned forward, catching her lips in a fiery, passionate kiss that blew her mind, making her knees weak. She felt that kiss from the ends of her hair to the tips of her toes. Conner gently broke the kiss, leaning his forehead against hers. "I know I've got a lot to make up for," he said softly.

"Any ideas on how to start that?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Conner grinned sheepishly. "Most of it involves a bed, ripping all your clothes off and doing unspeakable things for long periods of time."

"When do the girls get home for school?"

"Not for another four hours."

"Then we have got plenty of time."

* * *

Sky leaned back on his bed at the SPD Academy, feeling something real for the first time since Friday. His life had seemed surreal, lost in a wave of emotions. Now, back to what he knew inside and out, he felt like he could get his equilibrium back, regain some of his focus. Syd and Bridge had called him yesterday, both wanting to know when he was getting back to the academy. He had told them – Syd promising to be back soon after he was and Bridge telling him he'd be there that same day. Now… it was time to put the pieces back together and figure out what his life was going to look like from now on.

He shivered. No one was getting back fast enough.

The door slid open and Syd entered, a grin breaking over her face as she saw him. "Hey you," she said, coming to his bed and snuggled next to him. Her arms went around his middle as she hugged him tightly. "Are you all right?" She didn't give him time to answer as she pressed her lips to his. He held onto the kiss.

"I'm fine," he whispered.

"No – you're freezing."

Syd sat up, forcing him to do the same. She pulled one of his ice cold hands against her wrist, inside the loose sweater she was wearing. She pressed her free hand over his. He smiled at her, thinking of all the other ways he could warm up.

"Don't even think about it," Syd said, grinning at him. "Bridge and Z will be here in a few minutes – they had to drop some stuff off at our room – and you don't want them to walk in on us." She leaned forward and kissed him again. It seemed like such a long time since they kissed that he was feeling dizzy from that alone, not to mention the heat radiating from Syd's body.

It had only been a few days since they had been told the truth, but it felt like a lifetime. Between his father, Doctor Oliver and Captain Mitchell, the trials that had been closed so long ago were being reopened. He had overheard Ethan and Trent talking when he had gone to the command center to check back in with Doctor Oliver. There were a lot of legal loopholes that had been ignored and a lot of points where the proper procedure hadn't been done. Both of them were confident that Cruger would be behind bars for life – or in one those containment cards, as Trent had put it dryly.

"Hey guys!"

Bridge came into the room followed by Z. He dropped his bag on his bed and unzipped it, rummaging around for something. He pulled a smaller plastic bag from it. Z just grinned and rolled her eyes. The pair of them joined them on Sky's bed.

"Been shopping?" Sky asked.

"Not as much as Z," Bridge replied, like it was the most obvious thing. Z was wearing new jeans and a baby yellow cashmere sweater. He took two jewelry boxes out of the bag. "I found these at a flea market."

"What were you doing at a flea market?" Syd asked, sounding like she would never be caught dead at such a place.

"Looking for a part for my computer." Bridge was back to being oblivious. He handed Sky one of the boxes and Syd one of the boxes. "Anyways, I thought these were perfect."

Sky opened the box. Inside was a silver sunburst on a long, thin silver chain. The center of the sunburst on his necklace was gold – probably real gold if Bridge had been shopping at flea market prices. He glanced at Syd's. It was the same, except that the center of the sunburst was green. Z was wearing one too – with an orange center. And Bridge was – with a blue center.

"Do I want to know your reasoning behind the colors?"

"It's your auras," Bridge paused. "Or at least how I read your auras," he conceded. "Yours is gold because I see a lot of gold in your aura – traits that show up as gold. You're organized, follow the rules, you like tradition – you get the point."

Sky raised an eyebrow at him. "What about the others?"

"Syd's is green because she likes learning, ideas, science – and if given the chance, she'd be a really good leader." Bridge paused, glancing at Z. "Z's is orange because she likes being active, spontaneous…" He trailed off.

"Why is yours blue?" Syd asked.

Bridge looked a little uncomfortable. "It's complicated."

"So, we're all staying at SPD?" Z asked, effectively changing the subject.

"Looks like it," Syd replied. "And Paris and Austin are on the squad now." She paused and looked at Z. "Why are you staying?"

"My parents are going to do everything they can to bring Cruger to justice, but I'm a Power Ranger. They both understand the responsibility there. We save the world on a daily basis. How can anyone not want us to do that?"

"That's true," Sky replied.

"So how about you, mister billionaire parents? What did your parents think?"

Sky gave her a bored look. "All of the people who had been parental figures in my life were rangers. I guess it's natural." He shrugged. "The conversation never went around to that much after I told them I was staying. It was more about getting me a new car and fixing the broken garage door at the house."

"Welcome to what used to be my life," Syd said with a grin, nudging him.

"Are they getting you a new car?" Z asked.

"Yeah."

"What color is it going to be?"

"What color do you think?"

"Pink?" Bridge suggested.

That got a laugh out of everyone. Sky smiled as he glanced at the three people who had become his closest friends. Bridge and Syd had been there since they joined the academy – and since they had formally been put onto the B-Squad. Even Z… he hadn't thought much of her initially, but she had proved herself a great ranger and a great friend. Who else would ask him if he owned clothes other than his uniform?

"We need to make a pact," Syd said, putting her necklace on.

"What kind of pact?" Bridge responded.

"That's what we're going to decide," she continued. She glanced at him and Sky let out a long breath as he put on his own necklace. She reached out and grasped his left hand, holding Z's hand with her other hand. Bridge took Z's free hand and his. "Everyone can say something that we have to keep, no matter what."

"No picking your nose," Bridge said.

"Bridge!" Z said, nudging him and frowning.

"I'm serious. We need to respect ourselves. We're all unique – there is no one else on this planet that is like us. We're human beings – not freaks, not machines. We have to remember that we're humans and we can't let anyone tell us otherwise. We can live out our dreams."

He glanced at Sky. Great… "We stay with our parents through the trials," he said slowly. "We support them as much as we can. And we never let anyone tell us what our pasts were and what our futures are going to be."

"I've got it!" Syd said, grinning and sitting up a little straighter. "We take time to have fun with our powers. With Cruger, we were never allowed to have fun with them. We shouldn't view our powers as weapons, but as just a part of who we are – and that includes when we decide to have fun."

"I now know how I'm keeping Bridge's mess on his side of the room," Sky muttered.

"Hey!" Bridge protested. "I'm not that messy."

Z nudged him and he fell silent. "We need to be there for each other, no matter what. None of us should have to resort to living on the streets or starving, especially now. If anyone has any problem, no matter what the time of day or night, you have to promise to find one of us so we can help."

Sky felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips. Bridge was his brother, in more ways than one. The pair of them had been through a lot together and enough blood had been spilt, that they might as well have been blood brothers. Syd was his lover, his girlfriend, his best friend – she had become everything to him. And Z… he supposed that he gained an annoying younger sister in Z, but annoying in a good way.

"Have I mentioned yet today that I love you guys?" Syd asked, sounding teary.

"No," Bridge replied.

"All right – I love you guys!"

Syd wrapped her arms around him and Z, managing to pull Bridge in as well. Sky grinned into the group hug. He was surrounded by the people that were closest to him and the people that had the most in common with him – and now only time would tell how their futures would work out.

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** Ack! I lied when I said a few more chapters. I meant this one and an epilogue. I think my brain went out to lunch when I started reading for class... At any rate, thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing this piece. The constant support and comments from the start has been great. So stay tuned for the epilogue! 


	30. Fly Away

**Disclaimer: **The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

**KINGS AND VAGABONDS**

By Etcetera Kit

**Epilogue: Fly Away**

_Year 2021_

Bridge glanced out at the setting sun, cradling his baby brother, Jordan, against his chest. The baby was dead asleep, sucking on his thumb and looking peaceful. Mirinoi really was beautiful. His parents hadn't ended up staying on Earth – and he wanted them to be happy. They were happy on Mirinoi, especially his mother. So he wrote to them and called them, visiting for a weekend when he could until they had finally pushed back the Troovian forces. Now, Doctor Oliver had allowed the B-Squad an extended vacation. He was spending a month on Mirinoi with his family – Z and her family was visiting for the week before they headed back to Earth.

"I see why Dad loves it here so much," Bridge whispered. "There's something about it that feels untouched."

Jordan slept on, unaware and not seeming to care. Bridge smiled. He had received the news of his mother's pregnancy with mixed emotions. It had only been about a month since their reunion – and a galaxy separated them. Was this the final replacement? But he soon learned that his mother's health had been so bad that they hadn't been able to have more children and, now that it had improved in leaps and bounds, they always had wanted a big family. After Jordan, however, the doctor had told her no more.

"You're lucky," he whispered to Jordan. "You never have to be afraid." The sun was sinking behind the trees. "But I'll always be around to protect you."

"Of course he doesn't have to be afraid – he's got the world's best big brother."

Bridge smiled as Z came out onto the porch, sitting on the swing next to him. She wrapped one arm around his shoulders, stroking Jordan's downy soft hair with her free hand. "I'm not used to being the big brother," he replied, wrinkling his nose. "Sky's my older brother, so I'm used to being the baby."

"You'll do fine," Z replied. She smiled at Jordan. "I think you're lucky. My parents aren't having any more children."

"Think we'll ever have children?"

"Oh – when we're about twenty-five." She paused. "I mean you want your brother to be old enough to understand that he's an uncle."

"True."

They fell silent listening to the evening sounds. It had been a year full of ups and downs, but he felt content. It made all the difference knowing that there was someone out there that loved him no matter what. And there was so much more out there that he wanted to see…

"What are you thinking about?"

"Us," he replied, meeting her gaze and smiling. "Sky called earlier today – he said that Cruger lost the last appeal trial."

Z nodded. "I know that I should be angry at him, but all I can think about is how glad I am to have my family back."

"Me too," he whispered.

She leaned her head on his shoulder. "And in two weeks we have to go back to the academy – break in all the new cadets."

"Let Sky scare them half to death?"

Z laughed. "That – and we get the new distribution of the A and B squads."

Bridge just smiled. Paris and Austin had come back from their mission with decisive evidence of the original A-Squad's demise. Out of respect, Doctor Oliver was waiting until the new year at the academy to reassign the ten-person B-Squad into the two squads. Each of them knew that the former Dino Rangers would be on the A-Squad, but no one was sure who would be promoted as the fifth member of the squad.

His mother came out on the porch. "Dinner's ready," she said softly. Bridge handed Jordan to her and he and Z followed her into the house.

* * *

It was night. Z shivered in the evening breeze, wrapping her arms around herself. The beach looked even more beautiful in the darkness. The stars studded the ink black sky and the ocean gently rolled in and out over the white sand. She didn't recognize any of the star constellations in the sky. It was disconcerting in a way. The sky had always been something constant when she'd been living on the streets.

"Hey."

She smiled as Bridge joined her on the beach. This had been the first place he showed her on the grand tour of Terra Venture – it now encompassed a few of the native villages and a handful of houses the colonists had built. She had seen the City Dome – which after wandering through the village, had seemed foreign. The villagers were what she had loved the most. Some of them were Bridge's family, while he had an aunt and uncle in the City Dome. It was odd being around both worlds, but it seemed natural for Bridge.

"Where's Earth?" she asked softly.

Bridge glanced up to the sky. "There," he said, pointing to a cluster of three tiny stars. The stars shone brighter than others. "Earth is beyond those three stars."

"Home," she whispered. "You know, I never thought I would call anywhere home. I thought that I would live on the streets until I got killed."

"Z – that's past."

She turned to Bridge, a smile on her face. "You know, I'm kind of glad that I got arrested initially. I wouldn't have met you guys otherwise." Or Cruger might not have been able to find a way to bring her to SPD like the others. It didn't matter – she had people who she knew would die for her here.

She thought to her parents. Each of them expressed their love for her in a different way, but it was their love nonetheless. Her father would hug her and dry her tears, while her mother would listen to all her problems, no matter how trivial. But neither of them knew the extent of the things that had happened to her on the streets. Bridge didn't even know all that happened, albeit he had a better idea than her parents. It would take time… she had all the time in the world now to tell them everything. And there was always her kitten – Inkwell – who she shared a lot of secrets with. He was staying with Sky until she got back from Mirinoi. Aside from Inkwell, her family had three dogs, seven cats, a huge aquarium full of fish and, for some reason, a lizard. It was always entertaining to watch the cats lurk around the fish tank.

It was different, going home on weekends to a regular menagerie, but it was home. Her mom blamed all the animals on her dad. It made sense to Z, since her father was a vet. They had gotten her graduation certificate from SPD framed along with formal pictures from graduation. In May, Doctor Oliver had graduated the members of the B-Squad that hadn't graduated previously – herself, Bridge, Sky, Syd and Austin.

Bridge wrapped an arm around her waist. She leaned into his embrace. It had been overwhelming to meet her parents and her maternal grandfather – the only relatives she had. But Bridge… he had family all over the place. She couldn't imagine the reunion…

"How do you deal with all this family?" she asked.

"How do you deal with all those animals?" he countered. She just laughed and shook her head. Bridge grinned. "It's easy dealing with the relatives," he replied. "You just let your parents deal with all the dinner and lunch invitations they issue."

She smiled. "And this is why I love you – you have a simple answer for everything."

"Things get too complicated," he replied with a shrug. "It's nice to have a simple answer sometimes."

That was true. All their emotions concerning Cruger and SPD had been so complicated since the truth had been uncovered. None of them knew what to think or feel – whether or not to leave SPD. But they were Power Rangers. Their parents had been Power Rangers. All of them knew that there was no greater legacy than that.

Z glanced to the three stars that Bridge had pointed out.

_Home._

* * *

Sky walked down the street, glancing at the newsstand in the heart of Newtech. He remembered coming here as a kid, when he and his dad would go to the park or walk down to one of the little novelty shops. The small town mentality was still there and it was part of the reason he preferred Newtech to Silver Hills. He liked being in a place where most everyone knew each other, could identify who was part of SPD. He had grown up with these people. Going to the large town of Silver Hills never felt right.

Gingersnap, Taylor's dog, whined at him. He glanced at the fluffy terrier. The dog was the world's biggest marshmallow – Taylor had found her on the street as an abandoned puppy and had taken her in. Six years later, the dog was still a coward and shied away from strangers. He wrapped the leash more securely around his hand as Gingersnap pressed herself against his legs.

Picking up a newspaper, he glanced at the headline. _Former Head of SPD Receives Life Behind Bars._ Skimming the article, a smile floated over his face as he learned that Cruger had lost the last appeal trial and was going to be spending life in prison with no chance for parole. Abduction had become a serious offense since the alien immigration laws, almost akin to murder – and Cruger also had a lot of more petty charges surrounding the legal documents and with five counts of abduction, his fate was sealed. Kat had gotten twenty years, but was also up for parole with community service hours.

Handing the salesman a few dollars, he tucked the newspaper under his arm, untangled Gingersnap's leash from his legs and headed home. The dog was more than happy to comply, trotting ahead of him as they entered the neighborhood.

Once in the house, Gingersnap flopped down on the couch – her normal action after going on a walk of any kind. Taylor had some kind of conference out of state, so Gingersnap was staying with he and his dad. Sky put the leash on the table and went into the kitchen. His parents were coming over for dinner that night, so it would probably be a good idea to have something planned.

He was still surveying the contents of the refrigerator when his father came in. Eric dropped his stuff on the coffee table, which startled the dog and joined him in the kitchen. "So what are we eating tonight?"

Sky shrugged. "Can we order a pizza?"

"I'm sure Jen wouldn't object to that."

Sky shook his head. His mother was six months pregnant. When she had said that her and Wes would work something out so she could stay in the present, he hadn't imagined that it would mean a sibling. Time Force had granted her another extension, letting her stay in this time until the current baby turned twenty-one. One facet of the pregnancy was that he was being asked his opinion for baby names.

"How's the family vacation going?" his father asked as he pulled some pizza coupons off the miniscule bulletin board in the kitchen and handed them to Sky.

He grinned. Syd and her family had taken a long overdue family vacation to Disney World, complete with her Uncle Ryan and Granpa Mitchell. If the pictures, postcards and phone calls were anything to go by, the Grayson siblings were having an awesome time.

"Paris and their Uncle Ryan managed to bribe someone into letting them on the set of movie and they think they got in a shot."

"What'd _ you_ do today?"

"Spent some quality time with the cowardly dog."

Eric shot a glance to Gingersnap. The dog was cautiously sniffing his briefcase. Upon deciding it was safe, she settled back onto the couch. "At least she doesn't run from us anymore," his father muttered.

Sky nodded as his father disappeared into his bedroom. The Blue Ranger looked to the black kitten curled up on the counter. He was Z's kitten and was the other pet-sitting venture. The kitten had learned that he could snarl at Gingersnap and the dog would run.

"What do you think?" he asked Inkwell.

The cat opened one large green eye, looking annoyed. It didn't reply. "I agree," he said to the cat.

* * *

Syd let out a long breath, glancing at the long shelves of merchandise in the store. She wanted to get gifts for everyone back in Newtech, since no one else had been to Disney World. However, she was having trouble deciding what to get. Conner's daughters she had taken care of with some princess stuff, but no one else was forthcoming.

She glanced out the window of the store. Austin was out front taking pictures of something. Their parents were near him. Paris and Uncle Ryan were in the store next door to the one she was in – Syd wasn't sure what they were looking for, but she had a feeling, since the movie escapade, that she didn't want to know.

The vacation was a little odd – or at least to the people observing them. Most couples did not bring their grown children here and extended relatives didn't tag along. Syd found that she didn't care what others thought. She was happy to be surrounded by people that loved her and cared about her. Her and Bridge's breaks with their adopted families – neither of which had been talked to in years – had been as clean as possible.

"What are you looking for?"

She turned as her mother came into the store. "Stuff for the others," she replied. Dana nodded, knowing which others she was talking about. "I know that Z and Bridge wouldn't mind something outrageous, but Sky's kind of conservative. He's not going to appreciate something really loud."

Her mother looked thoughtful. "You said Sky writes a lot?"

Syd frowned. "Yeah – but he's convinced that no one knows about it, not even me."

"Still," Dana motioned her over to a shelf that held leather bound journals. The leather was all kinds of colors. She picked up one that had a dark blue cover. It smelt of new leather and the pages were blank, a creamy color. Opening the journal, she ran a hand over the first page.

"This is perfect," she breathed.

"And if Bridge and Z want something outrageous," her mother pointed to a bin that held small teddy bears in ridiculous Hawaiian clothing.

"Thanks," she said with a grin. She wasn't too worried about getting something for Conner, since he had said he would be happy with a keychain. And the others – Kira, Ethan and Trent – she didn't know well and didn't feel comfortable getting them souvenirs. Her mother was watching her go through the journals with a smile. "Is it weird having us back?" Syd asked.

"No," Dana replied, smiling softly. "It was like I was living some kind of nightmare for fourteen years and I've just woken up from it."

"I'm just glad we're together again. I mean I've looked at Sky and the way him and his dad are so close and I've wanted that for as long as I've known him." Syd paused. "Now, that's what I've got."

"We were close when you guys were little." She paused. "Paris gets into every fight and you still want to be in the spotlight."

Syd grinned. "Call it being the only normal one for a long time. Austin was at the Nebula Academy and Paris was busy trying to start a revolution."

Dana just smiled and pulled her in for a hug. Syd gladly returned the hug, glad that her real parents weren't afraid to touch her. Their adopted parents had been afraid of them – their real parents just accepted them, powers and all. Dana released her and waited as she selected a smaller journal that was dark blue. Syd went to the bear bin and found one bear wearing a neon yellow hula skirt and another wearing a lime green shirt.

Syd was just going to the counter to pay for her purchases, when Paris popped up out of nowhere, wearing sunglasses that had palm trees on them.

"What do you think?" Paris paused. "Not me?" She put them back on the display rack on the counter, picking up another pair that were a metallic purple. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror. "Now, this I like."

Syd paid for her items and waited while Paris bought the purple sunglasses. They left the shop and joined their family. Austin took one look at Paris in the sunglasses.

"Please tell me you don't plan on wearing those in public!"

Syd laughed as Paris kicked him in the shin.

* * *

Conner shifted in bed as Kira snuggled closer to him. They were engaged. He could scarcely believe it. He should have been asleep by now, but he was in a strange state where he was physically exhausted, but couldn't shut his mind off. A year ago, he would have never imagined that he could be happy again, but here it was. He loved Kira and Madeline and Christina viewed her as their mother.

Red Ranger… that was another thing that he hadn't believed would happen again. Doctor Oliver had been a ranger off and on for years, but he hadn't believed that he would be the one to take up that legacy after the former Black Ranger became the director CTU. The year had brought its ups and downs, but one thing was sure – Sky, Syd, Z and Bridge had become a strange mix of siblings, friends and children he never had. The five of them were so completely different, yet had so much in common. Then there were the twins, Ethan, Trent and Kira – all of whom had been added to the B-Squad and given ranger status in the past year.

And SPD was thriving from when he and Tommy had initially predicted its collapse. He supposed that Tommy being able to get tech support from Lightspeed, equipment from Bio-Lab and funding from Wes Collins helped things. Captain Mitchell and Mr. Collins trusted Tommy, where neither of them had trusted Cruger. It was also nice that the Silver Guardians did training seminars once a month for the new cadets.

He smiled to himself, thinking of the graduation ceremony for Sky, Syd, Z, Bridge and Austin. Tommy had asked Paris to be the caller and present the diplomas. He and the other former Dino Thunder Rangers had been the color guard – an important part of the ceremony. All of them in dress uniforms with extended families present… it had to be the best graduation ceremony of any kind that Conner had ever attended. Then there was that awesome party that the Collins' threw for everyone.

The part of the ceremony that stuck with him, though, was Paris calling the names of the graduating cadets. _Schuyler Alan Collins… Bridge Jara Corbett… Elizabeth Taylor Evans… Sydney Kendrix Grayson… Austin Ryan Grayson…_ Conner knew that, although Paris would never admit to it, she had been ecstatic to be asked to call the ceremony. The officers were given badges with their name and official nametags. Each of the rangers would continue in ranger status, but that didn't lessen the ceremony.

"You're not asleep?"

Conner grinned at the sound of Kira's sleepy voice. "No," he replied.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Someone should put Paris in charge of flag etiquette training."

Kira laughed. "She did lay into us during the graduation rehearsal."

Traditionally, the highest ranking officer at SPD called the ceremony – technically, that had been Conner, but Tommy was bound and determined to change things around here. It was kind of nice, being at SPD during a stage where new traditions were being forged. Literally, they were watching history in the making.

That wasn't to say that it had been easy – nothing had been easy for them. Each of them had to find a place at SPD and a place within the B-Squad – and for Trent and Ethan especially, that hadn't come naturally. But they persevered, between new siblings and squad members, saving the world and their sanity and just about everything else in between. He and Kira's wedding was planned for September, after their leave time was over. It was mostly so that the rest of the B-Squad could participate. Syd, Z and Paris were going to be the bridesmaids, while Ethan, Bridge and Sky were the ushers. Tommy, by virtue of being commander of a large government organization, was performing the ceremony.

Life went on as usual – nothing was constant, but he hoped that this time would always remain in their minds as the best days of their lives.

"I love you," Kira muttered, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"I love you too," he replied with a goofy grin.

Nothing – nothing could take away that, at this moment, life was perfect.

The End.

_It's enough for this restless warrior just to be with you..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** What can I say about this piece? It truly came from being bored to tears in Modern British Lit last semester and it survived my summer job! First and foremost, I'd like to thank _ Jepoliant_ for beta reading the early chapters and helping me decide on the ultimate placement of Cruger's chapter in _Truth and Consequences_ and the _Precious Possessions_ chapters. Next, I'd like to thank _Kaidence Ledger_ for beta reading the later chapters. To both of you, thanks for giving your time and support to this piece and for being general cheerleaders!

Next, special thanks to everyone who took the time to read or review this piece. Your comments and criticisms were great and I appreciate everyone's honesty in their feelings on the piece, since even I felt I was going out on a limb. So, to those who reviewed: alexis, Anastasia Athene, angel, angelbaby03usa, AnknaraSkysurfer, AnnoyingGenius, Anonymous, aquarius12285, Arrowned, Blake-Tori88, BloomingViolets, Brandon B, Broken Part of Me, Cestria, cheerleader chic, Crimson Mystery, Cristina Gomez, Feline-Feral, fenestrae, Frog1, Funky In Fishnet, garnetred, Gear's Girl, Giannola, Iniora Nackatori, Jackie, Jason Barnett, jedi4jesus19, Jenna Summers, Jepoliant, Jojo Momo, juzblue, Kiko Kamia, Kit, kris, KSchmidt, lgbabyblue, Liz, lkwREADer, LucyE, Mae, MagCat, Mandee1, Mandolin, masterranger3, melody, Moi, Mystic Red, Neo Aquni, Nicki, NightMistCrystal, Peanutbutterluver1399, Phantom Ranger, Quilliam Fyre, redandblack 4eva, Rob, Ruby08, Samurai-Nashie, Satori Blackthorn, Serina Kat, Silver Warrior, sky's girl forever, skyblue266, Slshadowfox, Syd Tate, syd-n-sky-fan, sydnskyfan, Tera Earth, texaswookie, the real vampire, Titanium Gold, Ultimuus, Weesta, White Time Ranger and Zen'Aku Lati: Thank you so much for taking the time to offer your comments, criticisms, concerns etc. Since this piece was AU and I took a lot of liberties with the characters, I appreciate it all the more!

I'd also like to give a shout-out to Anastasia Athene, BloomingViolets and Weesta: I always enjoyed getting reviews from you guys because you always had awesome things to say and great comments! Keep plugging with your own fics, you guys are great writers!

As to what the future will bring with my writing, I'm torn between overhauling _Bond Enforcement_ and doing a sequel to this. The latter would be ten or fifteen chapters of pure frivolity on my part (including a company play, date sabotage, undercover work and, of course, people getting used to constant parental concern.) An overhaul of _Bond Enforcement_ would keep a lot of base that's already there, but redo the character work with a revised timeline of events (it would include all the same characters, just not to the same degree and as quickly.) I'm even willing to take a vote from my awesome readers on that.

So, as per usual, this has been a wild ride from start to finish. Hugs and cookies to everyone who supported this endeavor and I shall see all of you around Cheers! - Etcetera Kit

PS You know, I must have been really bored in Modern British Lit, because I distinctly remember sitting in that class and thinking about which former rangers the SPD rangers most resembled... and I have no clue what we were discussing in that particular class.


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